182 Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior. 



out destroying the gro^vth of timber of that day. Before the pines, 

 and other evergreens that now occupy these places, overcame the 

 birch and aspen trees, one or two genei-ations must have passed away. 

 Is it going too far, on the strength of this evidence, to place the aban- 

 donment of the mines at a distance of 500 to 600 years from our times? 



There may have been inhabitants covering large territories for long 

 periods who have disappeared without leaving any monumental evi- 

 dences of their occupation. If the North American Indians had been 

 destroyed by a general pestilence before Pamphilo de Narvaez landed 

 in Florida, what traces of them should we be able to find? They have 

 left no distinctive marks of their existence impressed upon the soil. 

 8ome faint signs of cultivation in the shape of little hillocks or hills of 

 corn, not eatirel}'- obliterated as yet, are the sole vestiges of centuries. 

 But avoiding all mere conjectural speculations, the following conclu- 

 sions may be drawn with reasonable certainty : 



An ancient people extracted copper from the veins of Lake Superior 

 of whom history gives no account. 



They did it in a rude way, by means of fire and the use of copper 

 wedges or gads, and by stone mauls. 



They had only the simplest mechanical contrivances, and conse- 

 quently i^enetrated tbe earth but a short distance. 



They do not appear to have acquired any skill in the art of metal- 

 lurgy, or of cutting masses of copper. 



For cutting tools they had chisels, and probably adzes or axes of 

 copper. These tools are of pure copper, and hardened only by con- 

 centration or beating when cold. 



They sought chiefly for small masses and lumps, and not for large 

 masses. 



No sepulchral mounds, defenses, domicils, roads or canals are known 

 to have been made by them. No evidences have been discovered of 

 the cultivation of the soil. 



They had weapons of defense or of the chase, such as darts, spears, 

 and daggers flf copper. 



They must have been lumierous, industrious, and persevering, and 

 have occupied the country a long time. 



Ancient Works in the Ohio Yallcij. From Pre-historic Races. (By J. 



"\y. Foster.) 



The ancient earth-works in this valley have been so elaborately 

 described by Squier and Davis, that I shall only refer to their labors 



