ared to have been deposited,
without ceremony, in a common heap. Scarcely any were found in natural
juxtaposition. Having dug up the bones of several adults, the labourers
came upon the remains of a little child; one side of its head had been
beaten in, and other bones broken open. With these human relics several
stone axes or tomahawks, most of them broken, were dug up; and a
sharp-edged stone, which might have been used as a knife. The Indians
engaged in the work were very uneasy at having meddled with the human
remains, or, as they said, "troubled the bones of the old time people."

Other mounds of similar appearance were opened, and found filled with
similar contents. Though some of the long bones had been broken up, in
several instances they had not been severed from each other at the large
joints, but merely doubled or twisted one upon the other before they
were cast aside.

Mr Brett continues: "It was impossible to explain by any supposition of
respectful or decent interment the broken condition of these relics, the
violence with which they had been treated, or the apparent contumely
with which they had been cast into the common receptacle for refuse
matter. The great depth at which many of these remains were found,
seemed a convincing proof that they had not been deposited after the
completion of the shell heap, but during its accumulation. An old
Indian with whom I discussed the matter expressed the opinion of his
people very plainly: `That,' said he, `is the way in which the nations
who used to eat men always broke open the bones to get out the marrow;
so our fathers have told us.'" The Caribs anxiously stated that they
knew nothing whatever about the mound, and that their fathers had never
lived in its neighbourhood. Two other mounds were afterwards
discovered; one 250 feet in length and 90 feet in width, and about the
same height as the former, and similarly situated. Among the remains
were the bones of a man who must have been of large stature and of
immense strength. His skull, which was very thick and hard, was found
to have been broken in twenty-seven pieces, which all fitted exactly;
but when built up, a hole still remained in the right side near the
crown, where it would seem the fatal blow--by a pointed stone tomahawk--
had been given. Some of the mounds appeared to be of later formation,
and in them fragments of pottery were found, though in the older ones
none were discovered. While se