354 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
Toronto, November 16th, 1904. 
Samuel W. Kain, Esq., Custom House, 
St. John, N. B. 
Dear Sir: 
In reply to your letter of the 14th inst., in which you; refer to the fact 
that certain portions of the old Indian pot found in New Brunswick are 
perforated and look as if rimmed, or countersunk from the outside, I 
remember very distinctly the conversation you and I had on this subject 
in our museum, and I remember equally well telling you that, as far as I 
knew, I was the first to offer, what I regard, as being the only explanation 
that satisfies the conditions, so far as such holes are concerned. You say 
that Dr. Matthew offers an objection respecting my theory, asking, “What 
material could have been used to do the fastening which would stand fire ? ” 
This is an easily answered question. In the first place, I do not think 
pots of this kind were ever placed over the fire. They were placed beside 
the fire, and heated stones from the fire were placed in the pots. But 
even where we may suppose the pots to have been placed on the fire, you 
know as well as I do, that on account of the rounded bottoms of all our 
Canadian pottery, the vessels were first steadied in a hollow in the ground, 
around which, we have reason to believe, the fire was sometimes placed. 
In such a case, if the perforations are found in the bottom, any binding 
material would be safe there from the fire. If used on the sides, they 
would be safe when plastered over with clay, and in any event, there is 
little doubt that clay was plastered over the cracks that the holes were 
made to bind together. Of course not being able to see the holes for 
myself, or to knowtheir exact position in the pot, I am unable to say how 
far the conditions will square with my theory. I have, however, little 
doubt that it was for the purpose I have mentioned these holes were 
made. If, as Dr. Matthew thinks, such holes were made for the purpose 
of tipping the pot, or, as still others think, for the purpose of having 
something to use as a handle or bail, it occurs to me that holes for such 
purposes would have been made by the potter when she was modelling 
the vessel. 
Can you not send me a drawing of that pot, even if it be only a rough 
sketch? From what you say about holes being rimmed from the outside, 
this rimming or countersinking is proof that the holes were made after 
the pot was finished. Are these holes on each side of a fracture? 
Yours respectfully, 
David Boyle. 
