The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-26
THE TRACES OF
A LOST RACE
Relics Found on an Island OFT the Cali.
fornia Coast.
1t Is Supposed That They We're u
Tribe Ofindians Who Were Mariners
and Fi>hermen..An Interesting
Discovery.
From the Troy Times.


A party has just returned from San
Clemente island. about fifty miles of
the coast of southern California, and
reports some interesting finds. The
trip was organized by J. Neale Plumb,
of New York. who chartered steam
yacht and took with him a number of
guests. guides. boa.men and all the
facilities for a weeks stay. The OBJ
ject was to try the fishing and eXca-
vate in some of the localities where
ancient stone implements are still
buried. Camp was formed about two
miles above what is known as the 18TH
mus, on :he east side of the island.
The latter is about twenty-five miles
long. and differs entirely from Santa
Catalina in being very level on the
summit so much 50 that apparently a
carriage could be driven almost the
entire length.
1T was very curious-looking place"
said one of the party on his return.
and I should judge the island is to
great extent volcanic, and, while bar
rem, it had in the past supported large
population. We found a number of an
cient camp sites. and, in all probability,
could have discovered many more A
high cliff rose over our camp. and in
its sides We're large, deep caves, inhab-
tied by the sheep kept on the island.
hundreds using them as a retreat dur
ing the night. In some Of the caves
were bits Of abalone shell. showing that
the natives had been there. making
their homes, perhaps, during the winter
months.
"Our first excavations We're made
among the sand dunes near the 18TH
mus. Here We're evidences Of occupa-
ton in every observation-disclosures piled
In heaps, and other shells In such
masses that 1t was evident that they
We're the accumulation of years. We
set the men 20 work here. after pros
pecting, but found little to repay the
labor. so the next day we took the
yacht around the island. and were land
I'd successfully through the surf by
Mexican Joe. From here we walked
| more than two miles down the coast
to a remarkable series Of sand hills that
| covered several miles. The sand was
almost white, and was evidently flow
ing inland. covering everything as it
| went-an insidious sand river The
lower sloDe had in places a peculiar
| coating, and a. intervals were stony
| trees and twigs, apparently covered
with lime. But the most singular fea-
| ture was .he shells. As far as one
| could see the surface was dotted with
| white snail shells, all emnty. and so
| closely placed that at every step
| number We're crushed. There must
have been millions.
A GIGANTIC PIT.
"In walking over the dreary waste
we came upon a singular scene. The
sand suddenly dipped down like a
Gothic roof to depth of $50 or 200 feet
forming a gigantic pit. looking very
much like the crater of volcano of
sand, and so deep that in jumping over
the edge you slid rapidly to the bottom.
There We're several of these remarkable
| places that we came upon suddenly.
| 1T was near these vast depressons
| that we made our first find. We had
picked uD number of interesting OBJ
jects on the surface, as mortars. pestles.
| rings of stone. etc, when suddenly the
men who had been digging in bluff
| near the shore raised a shout We
hurried over, and there, in a shallow
| excavation, saw the recumbent skele-
ton of a large man. 1t was lying partly
on its side or on it's knees, the legs
doubled W. and the hands clasped be-
hind the head. The sand was care
| fully worked out. leaving the skeleton
in high relief. About two feet behind
1t We're three flutes or musical instru-
nents, the most interesting finds we
| made. They were nearly a foot in
length, and made of deer's lerbnne
| On the larger portion was q patch of
| asphatum, in which had been set a
square of richly colored ahalone pearl
| showing that as wild and savage as
these people We're they had aesthetic
| tastes and well-defined ideas of orna-
mentatiOn. The flutes had evidently
| been laid IN the grave of their owner
who nav have heen the musician of hiG
| tribe. The skeleton was successfully
taken out. and will be mounted
This snot was covered with bones
and mOrtars. broken in many pieces
broken Intentionally and the pieces left
where they We're, SO that they could
be fitted together with little trouble
| Not far away We discovered a body ly-
| ing near the surface in mass of
charred wood and shell. and in such
curious condition tha. some Of the
. marty suggested that the natives were
| "annihalS. and this was O victim. Be
| sideS the bones. we found some curious
| )biects: Cne resemhled Il bell clapper.
| and we found two of these: another was
a stone object about three inches in
length; another n long hone pen-like
| affair marked with two ridges its entire
| length with notches, as though some
one had been keening tally of some
| thing. That the inhabitants had some
| communication with the natives of
| Santa Catalina was shown by the NOR