360 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



travelled, will stand fair to rival all overland routes to California. It 

 is, probably, the only route within the limits of the United States that 

 can be passed in winter, and the one upon which will concentrate the 

 winter travel to the Pacific. 



ANCIENT MINING OPERATIONS ON LAKE SUPERIOR. 



THE following remarks on the relics of ancient mining operations 

 were made by Mr. Hodge, at the last meeting of the American Asso- 

 ciation. These relics, found near Lake Superior, consist of excavations 

 along the line of the veins, and of numerous stone hammers scattered 

 around them. Some copper tools have also been found in these exca- 

 vations. The workings are scattered over the whole mining region, 

 and extend even to Isle Royale. The pits are sunk to the depth of 

 twelve or fifteen feet, even into the solid vein-stone, and have subse- 

 quently been filled with sand and gravel, and on this trees have grown 

 which are more than 100 years old. The hammers are so abundant, 

 that, at the Minesota mine, he was informed by the agent of the com- 

 pany that fifty cart-loads of them might be collected. They are made 

 of a hard variety of trap-rock, and resemble in form the hammers or 

 pestles found in New England. With these, and probably by the aid 

 of fire, to render the rock brittle, the ancient miners penetrated into the 

 solid vein-stone, and removed considerable masses of the metal. One of 

 these, discovered in one of the pits at the Minesota mine, at the depth of 

 twelve feet, which was abandoned by the old workmen, because it was too 

 large for them to remove, was found to weigh over five tons, after being 

 extracted and cut up. This had been perfectly cleaned from the vein- 

 stone and all adhering rock before it was left. It had been partially 

 raised up, and was found resting on charred skids of timber, which bore 

 the marks of cutting instruments. 



Mr. Hodge said that he could not agree with an opinion expressed 

 by Dr. Jackson, that all these are the workings of Indians. ^ This 

 race have no use for copper, and there are no traditions of their hav- 

 ing sought for it. In the researches of Messrs. Squier and Davis 

 upon the Western mounds, they met with copper chisels, one of which 

 was handed him for chemical examination, to determine, if possible, 

 any indication it might bear of having come from the mines of native 

 metal of Lake Superior. It gave no trace of silver, but was pure, 

 soft copper, like much found in these regions. These workings and 

 the mounds appeared to him to be productions of the same race, one 

 more intelligent and skilful than the present race of Indians. The 

 workings of the English companies, about the year 1670, are known, 

 and, moreover, characterized by the remains of iron utensils, which 

 have been found about them. Should any other relics, as the curious- 

 ly carved figures of animals in the hard porphyry, or a single skull 

 of one of the workmen, be found, this interesting question would be 

 at once settled. 



