The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24

South Americas They would come in
their huge canoes to Porto Rico in great
numbers at definite periods ana celebrate
their religious rites: Most OF their stone
implements were highly polished and
richly decorated. They were evidently Tor
show or parade purposes. Those that
were intended for use were not so hlShiy
wrought nor so deliberately covered and
decorated. Take, for instance, their celts.
or stone hatchets With these they dug
out the core of large trees from which
they made their canoes The trees OF
Porto Rico are not characterized by
well-defined fibre, tough, and polishable
like most of the trees in this country.
They are for that reason more easily
gOuged out by such celts or stone axes
as we find the prehistoric people of Porto
Rico used
Like all the American Indians. the Ca
ribs, for such l believe these people to
have been, believed that the mountains
of Porto Rico were each one presided over
by a genius or spirit, to which they made
votive offerings and images to win the
good will of the mountain god. The mann
inform stones are interesting as show
ing this fact. These stones represent a
Naman figure with arms and legs curved
under the body with the back curved in
a hump resembling mountain. Inc HS-
ure typifies the genius or god of the noun
tain, and the form or shape of the hump
on its back WAS intended to represent the
characteristic shape of the mountain TO
which the image was dedicated; Tor IN
stance if mountain top was somewhat
peaked, the hump on the stone image
would be peaked. AS a rule the peaked
images are to be found only on peaked
top mountains. and rounded-back images
only only round-top mountains. TIL ase
mammiform stones are peculiar to Porto
Rico and are unique objects of archaco-
logical interest.
Herrera speaks of low legged stools
upon which these prehistoric people sat
and strange to relate just such stools as
he speaks of have recently been found in
fsslN VOC IN ha al in re
lar in shape and are made from stone and
wood. The legs are only an inch or so
long. The back of the stool, or what
would correspond to the back of a chair,
extends backward at great incline, more
like the elevated slope of a lounge or
couch than the back of a chair. At the
front edge of the stool is the face and
head of a monkey or other animal This
sticks out from the edge like knob to
a door. These stools are highly orna-
mented with carvings and designs and
are evidently intended for ceremonial pur-
poses only"
and ceremonial purposes convince the
student of archaeology that there must
have been monuments. temples. and 9TH
er archaeological remains which have
not yet been discovered 1t is so evident
that the island of Porto Rico was re-
gar'led as a holy spot by many peoples
living many hundreds OF miles away that
the thought is irresistible that ether and
more interesting remains of a past ciYili-
cation of religious character await the
discovery of the man of science.
The archaeologist wants to find and see
where they were set up. He wants to
find their quarries and the instruments
with which they worked New York,
Boston. and Philadelphia are all eager to
enter the promising field offered in Porto
Rico and it is hoped that the National
Museum will be able by an appropriation
of Congress to take an early and an ac-
tive part in the work.