SUMMARY


trained for occupation for a seemingly extended period of time?
 I believe that the answer to the first question lies in the in-
hospitable nature of the south and east coastal regions of St.
John (and similar islands of the Virgin group). On first glance
one might consider this region to be adequate for use by a native
economy; however, a complex of physiographic features doubtless
made this area-after some trial and error-most unattractive. As-
suming that the Indian population in St. John came to the island
with a simple fishing, gathering, and agricultural economy based
on manioc, cotton, and possibly maize, they would have needed
minimum soil conditions, adequate water supply, and certain
protection from wind and storm. Arawak peoples practiced slash-
and-burn type agriculture; therefore, they did not need great field
area but certainly adequate soils. As pointed out earlier in this
paper, the prevailing winds at St. John are out of the northeast
trade belt and result in a seasonal shift from northeast to east.
These winds are of low velocity and are consistently dry. Fall does
bring some increase in moisture with resultant rains, but these
rains seldom if ever fall to the east and south shores. Instead, the
east-west axis of the island brings about an unusual convectional
air pattern resulting in cumulo-nimbus clouds and rain, falling-
not on the windward side-but to the leeward and beyond at sea.
Thus, the island of St. John for centuries has offered a dry, arid,
relatively soilless prospect along the south and east. Coupled with
these factors, this area faces directly the major impact of heavy
seas and the lash of tropical storms. Earlier in this report sufficient
hydrographic data was presented to indicate that the aborigine-
also depending on fishing and sailing-would have learned early of
the unprotected nature of the bays along the south and east. I
believe, therefore, that testimony to this combination of environ-
mental hazards is implicit in the proven lack of occupational sites
in this portion of the island.
 One would be anxious, therefore, to ask the second of our
questions: why was it that the occupation of St. John in earliest
times appears to have been established at Coral Bay and to have
flourished for some period of time? The Coral Bay Site is very
definitely within the area spoken of above, and, if the conditions
of the south and east portions of the island existed, how is it that
a settlement of some duration was able to counter factors such