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Mr. Harry E. Hurst     Page 2.     November 24, 1923.

I must caution you whenever you buy anything, be sure to find out just where it was found, and under what circumstances- whether in a cave, buried in the ground on a village-site, or whatever the case may be.

Guessing at the value of the other things you illustrated, I should say the figure with the owl's head is worth from $5.00 to $10.00; the heavy stone grinder from $3.00 to $4.00, and the moon-shaped stone about $5.00, while the long perforated stone I should estimate is from $3.00 to $5.00, or, if made of very fine stone-like serpentine, perhaps up to $8.00.

Ordinary stone hatchet blades are worth from 50¢ to $5.00, according to size and finish; spear- or arrow-heads from 10¢ to $1.00, according to size and finish; round stone balls, if well made, up to 50¢; beads of stone, bone, and "ivory", from 10¢ to 50¢ each; small heads of stone 25¢ to $3.00, according to size and finish; clay heads (which are broken-off pot handles) 10¢ to 50¢, according to workmanship, and condition; while Indian pots are worth from $2.00 to $10.00, and those large grater stones with two handles, probably $5.00 to $10.00. These are about the prices I paid in Cuba.

If you buy such things be careful not to set the people digging for more before I come, or they will tear up the deposits and destroy the scientific evidence.that I want.

About the iron spear-head: such weapons are sometimes found on the sites of Indian villages occupied after the coming of the Spaniards. They were not made by the Indians, but were either used by Spanish soldiers attacking the Indian villages or were obtained from the Spaniards by the Indians. I found one in Cuba.

We would especially like to get hold of any ornaments of copper or gold made by the Santo Domingo Indians; we have none from any of the West Indies, although we know from early Spanish records that the "Taino" Indians of Santo Domingo, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, made such things.

[[4 images]]

Transcription Notes:
image (a) seems to refer to the owl's head. image (b) seems to refer to the stone grider. inage (c) seems to refer to the moon-shaped stone. image (d) seems to refer to the long perforated stone.