Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/684

 holmes] A URIFERO US GRA VEL MA N 6 1 9

neath the mountain, covered by the claim, became exhausted and the mine was closed several years ago. Mr Neale now resides in the town of Sonora, five miles north of Jamestown. In 1877, according to Dr Becker's account, Mr Neale discovered some mortars, pestles, and obsidian implements in the deepest part of the mine, beneath Table mountain and close to the bed-rock. These objects soon passed out of his hands, and one of the mor- tars with the accompanying pestle (see plate XXVIIl) was given to Dr R. I. Bromley of Sonora. Ten years after the finding, these specimens came to the notice of Dr Becker, who, desiring to learn more of their origin, sought out Mr Neale, and obtained the statement to which affidavit was made, the circumstances being given in detail in Dr Becker's paper. The essential para- graphs of the document are as follows :

" At a distance of between 1,400 and 1,500 feet from the mouth of the tunnel, or of between 200 and 300 feet beyond the edge of the solid lava, Mr Neale saw several spear-heads, of some dark rock and nearly one foot in length. On exploring further, he himself found a small mortar three or four inches in diameter and of irregular shape. This was dis- covered within a foot or two of the spear-heads. He then found a large, well-formed pestle, now the property of Dr R. I. Bromley, and near by a large and very regular mortar, also at present the property of Dr Bromley.

" All of these relics were found the same afternoon, and were within a few feet of one another and close to the bed-rock, perhaps within one foot of it." (P. 192.)

I took the trouble to visit the mine, which was found closed and caved in about the mouth, and with a newly opened mine along side. The site is on a steep slope, falling away to the west from the base of the towering escarpment of the mountain (and ap- parently much more than 1500 feet from it), and is surrounded by limited areas upon which houses could be built or lodges pitched. All about I found traces of native occupancy, and a dozen mortars, pestles, and pounding stones were picked up ; these did not differ in character or material from the corresponding varieties of uten-

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