Evening star., 1901-07-22
ABORlGINES OF CUBA
INDIAN RELICS OBTAINED IN THE
QUEEN OF THE ANTILLES.
The Curator of an American Museum
Returns With Many Speci-
mems of Pottery.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
After successful visit to Cuba In search
of traces and relics of the aboriginal Indian
inhabitants Of that island. Curator Stewart
Culin of the University museums returned
to this city yesterday with a large and
valuable collection of specimens. The story
of his trip, told in his own words to a
Ledger reporter upon his return, is as fol-
lows:
The university has, from time to time,
received informa ton that there were wild
Indians in Cuba, but this contradicted all
the records that the Spaniards had exter-
minated the race in the sixteenth century.
1t was for the purpose Of examining into
the truth Of the reports that my trip was
made. I landed at Santiago June 1. and
first visited the Indian village of Ell Caney.
met there an Indian named Almanares
who said he was liz years old. and l made
a number Of photographs Of him, but found
he had no traditions and no highly marked
Indian features. 1 believe he Is partly of
Spanish descent
Thence 1 went to Guantanamo going
up to Lagueira, sixteen miles distant. the
best known Indian settlement in the prov
1nce. The Gutierrez Indians here have
nothing to distinguish them from rural Gu
bans. except their physical characteristics.
They are small landhoders, living in ma
: tive shacks and huts of palm leaves, and
they retain practically no aboriginal Gus
toms These Indians have straight black
ha1r, nigh cheek bones, copper colored skin,
are diSinclined to work, and excel in pig
hunting with their machetes.
Domestic Tools and Instruments.
From Santiago again I went to Bara-
Goa, where guide was assigned to me by
the military commander, and four miles
from here l visited the Yara Indians.
collected a small vocabulary of Indian
words, and gathered together a few rude
musical instruments and domestic appli-
ances used and made by the Indians
Among them was a wooden mortar and
pestIe, which they employ for pounding
coffee and maize, and which is probably
aboriginal The musical Instruments are
Spanish and negro Nowhere on the is
lands did l see Indians Of unmixed abo-
riginal blood.
Proceeding down the coast, I crossed the
Yumuri river and went on to Cape Maysi-
an extremely arduous trip-my object be-
ing to examine the caves used as a burial
place by the Indians of former times. Here
l was fortunate in procuring a num-
Der of skulls. all of the normal, or
slightly fattened type. In these caves
are found skulls remarkably deformed,
while native anthropologists assign the
normal skulls to the Arawack natives of
the islands.
Remains of Old Village.
From Maysi I made detour to the
Pueblo Viejo-probably the most remark
able Indian monument in Cuba-and 1 am
told l was the first scientific American to
visit the place. There is here a rectangular
inclosure coo feet long. built up of gravel
piled to a height of ten feet closely re-
sembling the mounds of our central west
ern states. The earth in the interior of this
lnclosure is of black mold, filled with frag
nents of Indian pottery. and I obtained
numerous specimens. These alone were
entire journey. This site is supposed to
believe the tradition. 1t stands on high
bluff overlooking the
In Havana l had the good fortune to
University of Pennsylvania and he put me
into communication with the leading men
of science and professors of the Univer-
sity of Havana. Two of these gentlemen.
DIR. Carlos La Tore and DR.. Louis Montane
had both been over precisely the route
travelled. and were able to secure for me
many invaluable old records and docu-
ments touching upon the history Of the
islands DR.. La Tore will visit this coun-
try in August for the purpose of bringing
his institution into more intimate relation
to our universities"
Mr.. Culin spoke highly of the cordial
treatment accorded him by the military
authorities. particularly Governor Woods
adjutant, Captain H. L. Scott, who is a
man of considerable scientific attainments.
and said that he regards his trip sue
ceSSful In every particular.