18 Bulletin Santa Barbara Society of Natural History. Vol. I. 



On page 195, of the same report, a photograph 

 of a series of "weights" collected by Mr. Schu- 

 macher in various localities of California is men- 

 tioned. The specimens are all labelled "spindle- 

 whorls" or ''weights for distention of thread." On the 

 same page is figured a specimen of a roughly ground 

 implement made from a fragment of coral rock, appa- 

 rently pecked or hammered into shape. This is also 

 called a "weight." 



In a note by F. W. Putnam, on pages 196 and 197 

 of same report, mention is made of "numerous articles 

 of stone, which there seems to be little doubt were used 

 as sinkers, and by their shape are allied to the imple- 

 ments Dr. Abbott has described on the preceding pa- 

 ges. Two of these are of great interest, as they still 

 show the method by which they were fastened to fish- 

 ing nets or lines by means of asphaltum. 

 This asphaltum has preserved a portion of the twine 

 which was around each end of the stone, and it is evi- 

 dent that in this way the string was held in place on 

 the sinker, which was thus easily attached to the line 

 or net." 



The most recent article on this subject, and 

 which probably comes the nearest to giving the expla- 

 nation of the uses of these implements, is by H. W. 

 Henshaw, published in the "American Journal of Arch- 

 aeology," in which article, besides giving a synopsis of 

 the various theories advanced by different writers he 

 gives as he claims "a direct and circumstantial account 

 of their use," which he obtained from the Santa Bar- 

 bara Indians. 



Mr. Henshaw, in commenting upon Mr. Henderson's 

 article in the "American Naturalist," says: "In refer- 

 ence to the fourth possible use given in said article, 

 (viz, sacred implements), that it is only a possibility, 

 there being no evidence whatever from which to draw 

 such an inference." Though admitted to be but a 

 guess, it is remarkable how accurate it proves to be, for 

 in this paragraph we have exactly the use of these 

 plummet-like stones as explained by the Santa Barba- 



