Evening star., 1902-08-01
PORTO RICO AGES AGO
Pre-Eminent From Anthro-
biological View Point.
SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
WAS PRACTICALLY SAME AS IN
DIANS OF AMERICA.
What Buildings We're Like - Mode of
Dress-Inhabitants Worship
ed Idols.


the United States bureau of ethnology
made a reconnaissance in Porto Rico for
the purpose of studying the island and its
inhabitants from an anthropological view
point, and to ascertain facts relating to the
prehistoric Porto Rican. He stayed in the
Island several months and on his return
recently he submitted to the American AS
sociation for the Advancement of Science
a report on prehistoric Porto Rico" which
contains much interesting Information con-
corning the early inhabitants of our new
possession.
He declares that by the acquisition of
new territory the scientists of the United
States have opened up to them broad field
of investigation in the study of an aborigi-
nal race other than the North American In
dian. In his report DR.. Fewkes says, in
part:
Porto Rico Prominent.
Among all the acquisitions which came
to the United States by the treaty of Paris
Porto Rico Is pre- eminent from an anthro-
pological point of view. Before the coming
of Columbus there had developed in the
islands of the Antilles a culture sufficiently
self-centered to be chara ct eristic and our
new possession was the focus of that cul-
ture. The cradle of the prehistoric Antil-
lean culture was on the banks of the ORR
HoCo anu us tributaries IN the republic OF
venezuela. His ancestors belonged to the
Arawak stock of South America His cul-
ture having naturally developed certain dis
tinctiVe features in fuviatile waters, among
great forests, became maritime, and spread
from island to island until it came to Bori-
quon. or ancient Porto Rico.
There part of the race became seden-
tary, but with the adoption of this kind of
Ire lost much OF its early proWeSS and dar-
ing. In the same way the Caribs. another
race, related in some respects, Swarmed out
of the same Orinoco valley and finally
commingling its blood with that of the
former race developed the composite cul-
ture called Antifean. These two peoples
and others of like kind were fast becoming
homogeneous and thoroughly amalgamated
when the advent of the European practi-
cally exterminated the Boriquenos and re-
duced the insular Carib to a wretched rem
nant of one of the finest native races of
America.
TT is reported that the terrible volcanic
eruptions on the Island of st. Vincent have
blotted out the last remnant of the Caribs
but, while local settlements may have been
destroyed, the race is not yet extinct on the
Lesser Antilles. and is well represented at
various points in South and Central Amer
lea, survivors offering many and instructive
results awaiting investigation.
Little Study Has Been Given.
Although this race was the first seen by
Europeans, comparatively little study has
been given to it by the anthropoIogist, Doc
umentary evidences are not meager but
chronological data are limited, for the race
disappeared within a few generations after
Its discovery. and lost much of its distinc-
tive characteristics by mixture with other
peoples. Archa aeology furnishes more ma
terlal bearing on the problem than ethnol-
ogy, but this material is widely scattered
in different museums in Europe and Amer
lea. A great amount Of archaeological data
yet remains hidden in the SOIL awaiting the
spade of the explorer.
The aborigines have been so changed by
ntermarriage with other races that little
can be identified as belonging to the pre-
columbian life of the island Still in the
more isolated regions the Indian features
can be recognized and certain customs pc
cuiiar to the island can be traced to Indian
parentage- There are many Boriquen
words in the patoiS of the mounta inous re-
gion, and the rugged valleys of Loquilo.
the Sierras on the eastern end of the island,
called Yunque and Cacique mountains, still
have a wealth of folklore, part Spanish,
part Indian. with a mixture Of African
which will reveal to the folklorist many in
structive phases Of this subject.
Many of the mountains In this locality
are regarded as enchanted and about them
cluster stories Of ST. John, the patron of
the island. mixed with legends of old In
dian caciques and their families.
What tbs Buildings Were Like.
The houses Of the prehistoric Porto RI
the country people of today. Stone or adobe
buildings were not constructed, but a fra
gile cabin the frame Of which was tied to-
ether with maguey fiber and covered with
bark Of the royal palm or yucca and
thetched with straw furnished a home for
the prehistoric Portoriquenos. These houses,
like their modern representatives, were
raised on posts to avoid dampness and in
sects, suggesting pile dwellings, feature
nj or ion yryff - Lob, ~
ribs were familiar.
I'm many Of the smaller towns of Porto
Rico we still find a street lined with these
houses built In the same primitive way in
hablted by poorer people, negroes or poems.
1t appears that at the time of Columbus
first visit the Indians lived in cabins scat
tered over the island, but that here and
there these primitive dwellings were col
lected in pueblos.
THE furniture of the house of the an
cient Porto Rican was limited, but ample.
The bed was hammock made of the leaves
Of the palm, maguey or fiber Of native cot
ton. Calabashes or cocoanuts served as
drinking cups and in poorer parts Of the Is
land are still used for the same purpose
Clay vessels of rude construction were used
by the Porto Rican Caribs who lived along
the shore. Multitudes of fragments of these
objects are found today in several localities
These clay vessels are, as a rule, ullglazed
their rims commonly adorned with raised
heads representing animals of grotessue
forms.
The Mode of Dress.
According to the early writers the men
and girls had little clothing. but the mar
ried women and caciques wore a woven
cloth of palm fiber called nagua, which
apparently resembled the breech Goth with
dependent ends. In that warm climate
clothing was not needed for warmth and a
liberal covering Of paint protected their
bodies from the heat of the tropical SUM-
Canoe building with this people had
reached considerable development In their
original homes, and If there Is one feature |
which more than others distinguishes this
Antillean culture 1t Is the DEVELOPMENT of |
their maritime habits Of which these
canoes are the objective expression The
number Of stone implements in collections
from Porto Rico is very large, including OBJ |
teets OF all sizes and many shapes The |
arms OF warfare were mostly adzes and
hatchets with wooden handles, war clubs
made Of ironwood Of the island, spears and |
possibly throwing sticks. In the collections |
which were examined no arrow points were |
found As rule the Implements from the |
Antilles were polished stone, but + have |
seen two celts which show marks of chip |
ping.
'1The writing Of the prehistoric inhabitants |
of Porto Rico was of the rudest Kind CON. |