SAILING THE SEVEN SEAS 



663 



a mile ahead of his opponent. He at- 

 tributed his success to having greased the 

 bottom of his boat early that morning. 

 The winner of the horse-race saw that 

 he was being hard pressed by his rival on 

 the home stretch, so he decreased the 

 weight by loosening the girth and letting 

 the saddle "go by the board" while gal- 

 loping at full speed. 



MYSTERIOUS STATUES, GRAVEYARDS, AND 

 CAVE DWELLINGS OE AN ANCIENT RACE 



Several trips on horseback were made 

 to the eastern end of the island, a distance 

 of about 12 miles from the anchorage in 

 Cooks Bay, to see the huge statues scat- 

 tered over the plain and up the slope of 

 the image mountain, Rano Raraku. The 

 impressive scene as we rode over the hill, 

 and the images on the hillside across the 

 valley came into view, will never be for- 

 gotten. With one accord we drew rein 

 and gazed spellbound. 



These huge statues, staring at us out of 

 unseeing eyes, with somber, austere ex- 

 pressions and unsmiling lips, seemed al- 

 most human. As our imagination pic- 

 tured the scene of a bygone day, with the 

 valley and hillside alive with activity, we 

 had a feeling that we were not alone. 

 Yet their silence remained unbroken, giv- 

 ing no hint of the secrets which they have 

 been guarding for centuries.* 



Digging into the graves at the foot of 

 the large image platform near Rano Ra- 

 raku, we found numerous skulls with 

 curious geometric designs carved on the 

 foreheads, indicating that they had been 

 chiefs. One skull was unearthed having 

 a fully formed tooth projecting upward 

 into the center of the nose. The jaws 

 seemed to be normal in shape and to have 

 the usual number of teeth in normal po- 

 sition. 



In another part of the island are the 

 remains of stone houses or caves built into 

 the hillside, partly underground, in a re- 

 markable state of preservation, some be- 

 ing ioo feet long by. 20 feet wide, with 

 walls five feet thick and five feet high. 

 They are very skillfully built of large 

 flat stones laid in courses and fitted to- 

 gether in the manner of roof tiles, the 



*For detailed descriptions of these images and 

 speculations on their origin, see "The Mystery 

 of Easter Island,'' by Mrs. Scoresby Routledge, 

 in Ths Geographic for December, 1921. 



rooms being lined on the inside with up- 

 right slabs on which are painted hiero- 

 glyphic figures representing birds and 

 animals. The doorway is quite low, the 

 dweller being compelled to enter on hands 

 and knees. The lava rocks near these 

 cave houses are curiously carved into 

 resemblances of various animals with 

 bird heads. 



The Governor detailed for us an in- 

 teresting tradition of the bird cult of these 

 ancient peoples. It differs somewhat from 

 other versions, but refers to a ceremony 

 carried out annually in former times. 



The people who lived in these cavelike 

 homes and who made the carvings on the 

 rocks seemed to have worshiped a cer- 

 tain sea bird. 



Every spring the men who wished to 

 rule the tribe were contestants in a pe- 

 culiar race. About one-half mile from 

 the southwest point of the main island is 

 a small island, known as Motu Iti, or 

 Needle Rock, about 100 feet high, with 

 very steep sides. The one who swam 

 across the channel, climbed to the top of 

 this rock, secured the first egg laid by this 

 sacred bird, and returned safely ahead 

 of his competitors, was chosen to be chief 

 for the ensuing year. 



Frequently many lives were lost in the 

 heavy surf. A big feast and pageant cele- 

 brated the election, and the eggs obtained 

 by the successful contenders were pre- 

 served in the temple. 



CHRISTMAS DINNER ON EASTER ISLAND 



Rats and a species of quail or grouse 

 were numerous on the island. The quail 

 are usually hunted with dogs, who locate 

 them in the grass, and the birds are then 

 killed with a stone accurately thrown. 

 The Governor's native servant, a boy of 

 fifteen, called Indio, brought in some two 

 dozen birds in about one hour by this 

 method of hunting, and we had fresh 

 quail for our Christmas dinner ashore. 



The natives all speak Spanish in ad- 

 dition to their own native language. They 

 gather around the Governor's house when 

 strangers are there, watching everything, 

 the windows and doors being full of faces. 

 All seem good-natured and care- free. 



When the Governor was through with 

 the cigarette which had been given him, 

 he would pass it on to his chief assistant, 



