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Show 314 formed had already made some excavations in the section about to be visited, for the ranch of T. Wallace More, near the little village called La Patera, some eight miles from Santa Barbara. Arrived at a spot where our guide informed us he had found a few bones and arrow- heads, the work, digging a trench in a north and south direction on a cliff overlooking the sea and probably 80 feet above it, was at once commenced. There were no indications that this locality had been nsed as a burial- place, bat after digging a few feet, and beyond some loose bones that had been reinterred by Mr. Bowers on the occasion of his first visit, we oame to an entire skeleton in situ. It was lying on the right side, facing the west, with the lower limbs drawn up toward the chin. No ornaments or utensils were found, but a quantity of marine shells were near the cranium. Continuing the excavation deeper, two other skeletons were discovered in a similar position to the first, and near them a few broken arrow- heads. These were removed and the excavation extended downward and backward from the sea- cliff, the labor being rewarded by the finding of seven other skeletons. These latter, however, were huddled together and gave no evidence that care had been tak « n in the burial of the bodies to place them in any particular position. Near by were a few shell- beads and other ornaments, and an abalone shell ( Halietus splendens) containing a red pigment. The bones were so friable as to crumble to pieces on exposure to the atmosphere, and on this account none could be secured. On excavating to a depth of 5 feet, a layer of marine shells was reached, under which was a firm stratum of yellow, sandy clay, beneath which, as our subsequent experience proved, burials were never made. After digging for several hours, and finding nothing further of special interest, the trench was refilled. Moving arouud from place to place in the field, onr attention was finally attracted to a depression in the center of it, some 200 yards from the sea- cliff, which on examination gave undoubted evidences of being a burial- place, ribs and vertebras of whales being scattered about, and small inclosures found that had been made in the earth by setting up large flat stones on their sides. Digging into one of these inclosed areas, broken bones and some broken pestles and mortars were found, but nothing of special value. The excavation was continued to a depth of 3 feet only, which, as subsequently ascertained, was not sufficient. We left this locality for a time. While engaged in the interesting search in question, Dr. Bothrock, who had strolled off some distance after botanical specimens, communicated to us that be had discovered, on the opposite side of a small estero to the northward, a locality which he believed to be a burial- place, founding his belief on the fact that he had seen a number of whales' ribs, placed so as to f< rm arches over certain spots. As we well knew that the Ranta Cruz Island burial- grounds were similarly marked, we anticipated a " good find," and, indeed, so richly were our anticipations rewarded that we named it the " Big Bonanza." The annexed diagram will give an idea of this place and the several other localities already mentioned. The next morning found us at an early hour near the spot discovered by Dr. Both-rock, and from the surface indications it could hardly be doubted that at some period it must have been a burial- place of note. The surface of the ground, instead of presenting the appearance of mounds, or hillocks, was rather depressed in a semicircular form, and in various spots ribs and vertebra) of whales had been partially buried in the |