Page:Anthropology.djvu/144

moss, and that it was not until the removal of the moss that the true character of the object appeared. An examination of its surface must, I think, convince the observer that the stone has been subjected to the long-continued action of water, and from its situation it seems fairly certain that the water which has produced the wasted appearance was rain, and rain only. An expert might perhaps form a tolerably accurate opinion as to the period which would be required for ordinary rainfalls to effect such results as are here plainly visible. For myself, I hesitate to speak of the precise period where the stone showed no marks of rain. I feel, however, that I am safe in expressing the belief that it would require a length of time commencing at a date before a Frenchman is known to have set foot in the country to produce from the action of rain so worn a surface as this stone exhibits. If this proposition is correct, there can be no reasonable ground to doubt that the carving is the work of an Indian. I may refer, but solely for the purpose of expressing my disbelief in any such hypothesis, to the suggestion that art, employed for the purpose of deceiving, and not any force of nature, has produced the worn appearance to which reference has been made. The mossy deposit, and the unfrequented locality in which the curiosity was found, both aid in dispelling this idea; but even had it been found in an often visited part, and without its mossy covering, I should have no hesitation in affirming that its worn appearance was not due to the hand of man. I may further urge that, had the object of the workman been solely to deceive, he would have scarcely selected a stone whereon to carve of a granite character, and especially a piece of granulite, one of the hardest of rocks to work, being not only hard in quality but of crystalline structure, and ill-adapted for receiving a polish, at least under rough tools. Granting, however, that for the reason stated we are justified in assigning the origin of the carving to the Indian period, there still remain many difficulties in the way of determining its object or meaning. There are at the present time several Indians in the neighborhood of St. George, but half a century ago there were many more in that locality, and previous to the commencement of that period the vicinity of the canal, about one and one-half miles from the bluff mentioned before, was continuously a favorite camping ground for these people. The Magaguadavic Lakes abound in fish, even at the present day, and the surrounding woods, formerly well stocked with all kinds of game, would prove a great attraction to the savage hunters, and the proximity of the sea would also add to the attractions. The Magaguadavic Indians speak the Milicete language, and are, I believe, members of that tribe, and are, of course, descended from the Algonquins. I speak with some hesitation of their being Milicetes, because I understand that the Passamaquods claim to be distinct from the Milicetes, and there may be some question whether Magaguadavic Indians were not a portion of the former tribe. A very obvious question presents itself to the mind of the investigator, which may here very properly be considered. What purpose would an Indian have in view in producing this curious