Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-10
PORTO RICAN ANTIQUITIES.
The Interesting and Important Work b
fore the Britton Expedition.


The Interesting and Important Work Be-
fore the Britton Expedition.
The expedition to Porto Rico which Is
the New-York botanical gardens, prom
Uses to be productive of the most interest
ing results. 1t has for a primary object
the. collection of rare plants for the bo-
tanical gardens here, but it also has a
secondary object of great interest. and
that is the gathering of data concerning
the life and customs of the vanished peo-
pie who occupied the island centuries ago.
before the time of Columbus. The Span
iards when they came into possession Of
the island. following out their fierce pol
icy of colonial rule, within a few years
completely eXterminated the aborigines,
the number of whom was about one mil
lion. They were known to be quiet race
possessing many arts. and industries. of
Semi-civiliZed people. yet history has
recorded but little about their character
and culture. Recently many. strange rel
les have been found on the island. the like
of which has not been seen anywhere else
in the world. They are supposed to be of
a religious significance and are mainly
in the nature of animal and human fig
ures carved out of stone.
In its day Porto Rico was the centre of
all religious ceremonies and festivals
held by the natives living on the widely
scattered islands of the Antilles. In rude
canoes, sailing-boats and other craft OF
the time the savages of that wide watery
region made yearly pilgrimages to Porto
Rico to engage in a sort of Indian camp
meeting. There the civilization and Gull
ture of that section and that time We're
Up to the present time only one note
worthy collection of relics from that sec
ton has been made. George Latimer,
formerly "a United States consul to Porto
Rico, who was of a scientific turn of
mind, put in the greater part of his time
collecting specimens there, and when he
collected to the Smithsonian Institution.
Most of the relies found indicate that
the natives of this country were of an in
tensey religious character. The great re-
ligious amphitheatre of ancient Porto
Rico. according to facts CLEANED, was Il
large inclosure surrounded by stone
to it from all sides. In the centre of. the
Enclosure was the 'holy of hoiies,' where
the sacred objects were kept. This inclo-
as a protection against rain. Every tri-
bal chief had a similar place of worship,
and this was the great gathering place or
esta blished priesthood and a well-regu-
lated system of shrines. Each house, al
SO. in one of it's angles, had shrine.
These houses were of great size and shell
tered under one roof hundreds and some
times many as a thousand persons.
Those in the house were all more or less
remotely related.
The Latimer collection includes many
quaint pieces, some of which are almost
impossible of explanation, presenting
many problems for the s scientists hssr OF the
some stone pieces. which for want of "a
better name have been termed collars.
They look much like horse collars. They
are ornamented with carving. 1t is be-
lieved that they were worn by the priests
during certain religious ceremonies.
There are many conventional axes,
carved and polished. There are also
stone masks that represent grotesque hui
man faces. Curious also are many stools,
made from both wood and stone These
stools are ornamented with pearls and
precious stones and are supposed to have
been thrones. Stone tables, supported by
four short legs. are also in the collection.
They are supposed to have been. used to
grind corn with stone rollers The abor-
igineS also made some beautiful pottery,
a few relics Of which remain. All of
these things open a delightful vista to the
scientists, and those who make up the
proposed expedition look forward with
keen interest to the work they have be-
fore them.