HKDLlt KA] 
DISCOVERIES ATTRIBUTED TO EARLY MAN 
39 
water stream, known as Van Yaltenberg Creek (fig. 6). This 
drained a small territory into the near-by brackish Indian River 
or Sound, and when flowing was the best fresh- water supply in the 
vicinity. About three-quarters of a mile from its mouth the creek 
received a small tributary, known as Xorth Fork. It is in the urea 
partially inclosed by the two streams that our main interest centers, 
for it was about the southern branch of the Y formed by them, not 
far from the junction, that all the human remains were discovered. 
The two terminal branches as well as the main stream were doubt 
less instrumental in building up during their overflows the flats 
about them. At the same time they eroded in a very irregular man- 
FIG. G. The creek near Vero before th&amp;lt;&amp;gt; excavation of the canal. The position of the 
human skeletal remains is indicated by the solid squares. The canal is in heavy bla -k 
lines. (From survey map furnished the Smithsonian Institution by William H. Kim- 
ball, chief engineer in charge of the construction of the canal.) 
ner the older underlying sanely deposits and made themselves broad 
shallow beds, which gradually became filled with muck. These beds 
can be traced to-day from a distance by the more abundant vegeta 
tion, including trees, which grows from the rich soil. The bed of the 
southern, or main, branch had been cut across, between 125 and 225 
feet from its former junction with the northern affluent, by the drain 
age canal, so that it can now be seen in an almost complete transverse 
section, with all its characteristics. The muck beds of the northern 
branch and of the main stream lie somewhat north of and beyond the 
canal, except near the railroad bridge, where the main stream also 
appears to have been cut across. Mr. William H. Kimball, chief 
engineer in charge of the construction of the canal, was kind 
