Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

Aboriginal Indian Remains in Jamaica by J. E. Duerden / 245
Bloxburgh.
Lieutenant J. E. Henderson, of the W. I. Regiment, while making a military
survey of the district around Halberstadt, a locality already celebrated by the
Rev. W. W. Rumsey’s previous discovery, also investigated many of the caves.
He has kindly forwarded the following account of his results: “In May and
June, 1896, being in the vicinity of Halberstadt, Bull Bay, I explored a large
number of caves in the limestone formation between Halberstadt Great House
and Bloxburgh. The first one I entered, which is within some 250 yards of the
ruins of Pictorial Cottage and quite close to the main road, was very easy of access,
having a large opening. At the bottom I found a skull and a large number
of human bones lying about, and on a ledge of rock a perfect specimen of a
boat- shaped earthenware vessel full of earth. On searching further I found a
large shallow dish of similar material jammed in amongst some debris. This
latter was broken at one side, but I eventually found the missing fragments.
The cave in question is rather a damp one and the best portion of it is filled
with large boulders and debris fallen from above. The bones were very much
decayed and could not be removed whole. I found no other pottery or any ornaments
or implements, but as the cave is considerably deeper than I was able
to get at, and many more bones could be seen lower down, it is quite possible
that a thorough search and removal of the debris would bring something more
to light. As a general rule the caves in this district are on the underlay or sloping
down, and have become full of earth or large boulders, making a thorough
search impracticable.
In every case except the first the human bones were lying in great disorder,
broken fragments being found in perhaps half a dozen places in one cave. There
are many more similar caves which I had not time to explore, in this district.”
Botany Bay and Cambridge Hill, St. Thomas.
These two caves containing aboriginal bones and other remains are in close
proximity, being only about a quarter of a mile apart. We are indebted to the
Rev. W. W. Rumsey for bringing them to public notice, and for affording the
writer an opportunity of investigating them. They occur in a hilly part of the
south western portion of St. Thomas, known as the Botany Bay district, and
are situated about four miles from the sea, a fine view of which is obtained from
each. The caves are natural formations in the Tertiary Limestone. All around
the latter is very rugged and so honeycombed by weathering and solution, that,
in places, walking becomes dangerous, the superficial rock being in the condition
of large, irregular blocks. The aperture of each cave is on a level with the
inclined surface of the ground, and admits of easy entrance. The immediate
district is today ruinate.