ST. JOHN


as shortage of water, lack of adequate soil, destructive forces such
as Ihunli; inane, rollers, tsunamis, flooding by the sea, etc.? The
answer doubtless lies in a series of special physiographic and en-
vironmental features peculiar to that one segment of eastern St.
John. Hatt recognized the early nature of the Coral Bay site
and our tests verified the fact that this most probably was the first
settlement on the island. Remembering once again that the native
peoples quite possibly came to this island on prevailing winds and
currents from the east, it would have been natural for them to have
put in first at Coral Bay. Coming from the open sea, this bay,
under average conditions, would appear as a perfect shelter. That
little arm of the bay, Coral Harbor, too, would have had additional
appeal. Also for those interested in settlement, the valley back from
Coral Harbor would have been attractive. Draining from the high
peaks of Bordeaux, Mamey, and Ajax were fresh water supplies that
in turn helped to deposit on the valley floor good soils, while the
sea offered marine collecting and fishing. It might be postulated,
however, that as the years passed, fresh water conditions faltered as
they have in historic times. Likewise, there must have been those
occasions when hurricanes demolished the settlement and high
seas rolled in over the low mouth of the valley. As protected as
it may seem, Coral Bay and especially Coral Harbor faces the pre-
vailing storm direction and the resultant high seas. It is not
difficult to conjecture that the Cruz Bay site arose through a gradu-
al bi:al)n)ld meant of the Coral Bay settlement, for at Cruz Bay
these early settlers would have found opposite conditions to those
of the eastern end of the island. I believe, therefore, that an im-
portant factor in the interpretation of this earlier phase of occupa-
tion of St. John was the prevailing inhospitable nature of the
entire eastern and southern coastal areas. Even though the Coral
Bay settlement found occupation possible on initial contact with
the island, it is well within reason that those environmental
hazards typical of southeastern St. John, although tempered at the
Coral Bay settlement, eventually led to discouragement and gradual
migration to the western portion of the island. Findings of early
sherd materials at other sites along the northwestern coast point
to initial or experimental living in those spots concurrent with the
prime octlupation at Cruz Bay.
 If the coastal and valley areas of southern and eastern St. John