The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1919-07-31
MUCH FLORIDA DATA
ABOUT OUR INDIANS
Obtained from Visit to the Ten
Thousand Islands
SCIENTISTS INVESTIGATED
Evidences of Ancient Indian Life
Discovered in this Region
Relics of the Caloosas.-Other
Important Data.

1ulpoA edAI Adbu'
Washington, July 24.-Import-
ant scientific and historical data
was cleaned regarding the aborig-
inal inhabitants of Florida, inter-
esting and valuable relics were
discovered and studies were made
of full-blood Seminole Indians
during an anthropologicae survey
of the southwestern coast of
Florida, a brief report on which
has just been made public by the
Smithsonian institution.
In November, 1918, DR.. Ales
Hrdlicka supplemented his for
mer work in Florida by a four
weeks exploration of the little
known region of the Ten Thous-
and islands. The objects of this
journey, which was carried out
under the auspices of the bureau
of American Ethnology, were to
trace the anthropological type of
the former aboriginal population
along this unknown remainder of
the western coast of the peninsu-
la, and to study such Seminole In
dians as could be found roaming
among the islands.
The results will be published
more fully later. They are brief
ly as follows: The region of the
coast south of Key Marco, which
was supposed to be of no great ac-
count as far as aboriginal remains
were concerned, was found to be
full of sites, shell heaps, plat
forms, and mounds, with canals
and other evidences of former
Indian occupation; the remains
covering in individual instances
20, 80 and even so acres Of
ground Only the southernmost
parts of the coast are poor III such
remains. And all of this is still
intact so far as scientific exrlora-
ton is concerned.
1t was determined that these re-
mains are throughout of the same
class, though differing in very in
teresting details, and the con
clusion seems justified that they
represent the same culture and
people, identifable with those
farther north, up to and beyond
Charlotte Harbor. A part Of
these people were known historic
ally as the Caloosas, and have left
their name in that of the Caloosa-
hatchee river. They were, accord
ing to such evidence as we possess
(crania, etc.), homogeneous
stock, physically related to the
type of the eastern Algonquins.
The roundheaded people Of farth-
er up the coast and the st. John s
river were evidently wholly alb
sent in this region.
Of the Semlnoles, four individ-
lals were met with among the is
lands, of whom two were full
Oloods. One of these latter sub
nitted to measurements. These
Indians roam over most of the
Everglade part of southern Flori-
la, as well as among the myriad
If keys off the coast. They are
partly civilized" but prefer to
De left alone. They are consider
lbly mixed with whites and slight
y also with negroes, but this mix
.ure does not seem to be recent.
They have few if any steady all
,he-year-around habitations and
cad more or less nomadic life,
from place to place in
quest of food or for other reasons.
They can be met with occasional
y, individually or in parties, from
Palm Beach on the east coast to
Nort Myers on the west, and from
lake Okeechobee to the southern
of the peninsula.-WilI
,. Kennedy in Tampa Times.