The morning times., 1897-02-27
AMONG The FLORIDA KEYS
EtInologist Frank ii. Cushing Found
an Old Civilization.
He Tells a Geographical Audience
of the Shell Implements and Gods
of an Ancient Race.

Mr. Frank II Cushing, of the bureau OF
ethnology, lectured under the auspices OF
the National Geographic Society last night
on the Keys of the Gulf Coast of Florida"
\ large audience was present
Mr. Cushing 5 statements were Illustrated
with a number of well handled stereopticon
views. In fact, Il considerable part OF the
time his words were merely explanatory
of the pictures.
He went to Florida in the government
service. starting from Punta Gorda he
spent soinr time among the Keys Of Char
Iotte Harbor, and afterward visited sew
eral farther south. He described particu-
larly DeIhorey and San Marco.
on disembarking from his sloop at the
first Key reached in Charlotte Harbor, he
had to push his way through a mass OF
tangled swamp Cndergrowth to reach the
higher part of the island. once inside,
he found long ridges of conch shells stretch
ing out for d space and then rising in
terraces to a considerable height above the
sea level. Usually there was a roadway
leading up to a small plateau. lying back
of the creSts OF the upper terrace. on
this upper level there were evidences of
cultivation in days long gone, and down
the side of the hill We're large circular
dcpressiOns, evidently intended to catch
rainwater TO supply drink not otherwise
to be had on this formation, surrounded
by the salt ocean. He concluded at once
upon the first Key examined that they
had been iuhah ahited bya semi civilized race
of Indians.
After he returned to the sloop on the
first day. toward evening, he observed
several low shell reefs appear out of the
receding tide. and great flocks of cor
morants and pelicans came and settled on
them, suddenly there was a rushing sound
as OF storm. and as he looked around he
saw great stoal OF fish coming in, driven
by putting porp0ises and sharks. AS they
approached the pelcans and cormorants
that had been playing about the reefs
flew out in regular lines. and came up be
hind the fish Then they divcd into water
and made such noise rs TO drive the latter
into a lagoon within the reef. where the
birds made meal at leisure.
At the same time MI Cushing observed
that on reef near by Were two fishers
hutS on piles. He concluded that as the
birds and these modern fishermen the
Indians had been attracted by the abundant
fish, and had built their huts on the reefs
and had then from the shells heaped up
the Keys to their present dimensions
A continuation Of his explorations con
yinced the explorer that this view was cor
rect. He found numerous relics of house
hOldimpleucntS and weapons of she'll which
belonged to the tribes Of centuries ago
There were no bows and arrows. but
throwing sticks and jayelins such as are
found in Central and South i merica. Also
there were canoes dug out of trees with
sharpened shells, but most of the perfect
specimens appeared to be mere toys.
One of the most interesting specimens
of wood carving was an altar tablet with
a representative of the Indian winged war
god 1t represented either a kingfisher
or blue jay. The lantern slides furnished
numerous representations of these relics.
In closing, Mr. Cushing said some of the
keys dated back to centuries before the
historic period, while others had been
inhabited in quite recent times. While
the Florida Goa st has been changed fire.
Guently by the hurricanes the older keys
appear to have been built so solidIy that
their lines have stood for centuries