The Portland daily press., 1881-06-01
SHELL HEAPS.
Prof. Morse's Expedition to Goose Island.

Although the daily papers of the time have
preserved no accounts of the banquets, we have
satisfactory evidence that the Indians were in
the habit of feasting sumptuously and frequent
ly upon shellfsh at the different islands in our
harbor, at remote period. We cannot tell
how many hundred years ago, but we know
that it must have been when the beaches and
channels were very different, for the shells are
most plentiful where the clans are now scare
est and any one familiar with the habits of
the noble redman, knows that at no period of
his history would he have carried his CLAIMS
more than two rods before sitting down to eat
them. The great quantity Of the shells also
testifes that the race must have been much
more numerous than when our forefathers
came here, and that of itself, gives them the
credit of fair antiquity. Now Goose Island,
near the foot of the bay, has been favorite
camping ground of artists and others, in the
days OF auld lang syne, and Prof. Edward S.
Morse, remembering the shell heaps there has
long had in mind project for exploring them;
SO, on Decoration Day, accompanied by Prof.
Robinson of Salem, he came here, and joined
by a party of friends numbering thirty-five
some of them members of our Natural History
Society, he started for the Island in the little
steamer Tourist, and arrived there about ten
O'Clock. His friends had prepared a pleasant
surprise for him, by inviting some of the scien-
lists of Bowdoin College to meet him there,
and the sudden appearance of Professors Vose,
Carmichael, Lee and Robinson with others in.
Guiding Tenney of the Brunswick Telegraph,
III, ol,o H., +l.o
pany. While the ladies and young folks took to
sketching, botanizing and boating, the scientists
set diligently at work at the shell heaps. Prof.
Morse was more particularly intent upon secur-
ing specimens of shells for comparative measur-
ment a line OF research, in which he has al
ready achieved such valuable results, and in
obtaining shells now obsolete in this locality,
and his labors were amply rewarded; but in adj
dition there were found flint arrow heads,
bone needles, stone hammer, fragments of
pottery ornamented with twisted-cord lines,
teeth and bones of animals, bones of birds, in
Guiding those of the Great AUX, and other
treasures, which make glad the hearts of gen.
tlemen in their frame of mind. Certainly,
nothing can be more exhilarating to one of
contemplative mind, than to see dozen grave
professors scratching up the ground with dill
gent haste, and shouting with delight whom
ever they turn up bone.
Dinner was not neglected, and while the
digging was going on in one quarter, the vet
eran Major and his legal assistant were prepar-
ing noble chowder in another and midday
assembled the whole company to feast which
may have been not very much unlike those
the aborigines i'll those other days The re-
mains of an Indian stone fire place dug up in
one she'll heap, gave evidence of more systema-
tic cooking than mere roasting in the shell, and
the numerous bones of deer and other animals,
showed that venison was plenty with them.
There were no pipes found and perhaps the In
dams smoked cigars as this party did.
The return was somewhat fastened by the
violent shower Il it had been more fastened
perhaps the last boat load would not have been
left to meet the brunt of it, AS they covered
behind rock, the kindly geologist said, "can't
you put your umbrella over Fuller's head?'
1t was done, and fine water privilege instantly
opened itself from the umbrella down the geolo-
gists own neck. An indignant party of three
instantly leaped from the shelterng rock and
shouted, "what are you about? And the
crushing answer was, "Who made the PROPOSE
tion?" But the shower passed and the party
not entirely easy in regard to the Bowdoin Col
lege party, but hopeful, since when last seen
they had drawn out their boat, turned it bot
tom up and were evidently prepared to shelter
themselves from any ordinary shower.