108 ANCIENT MONUMENTS, 



with concave sides and finely polished, which had been found here, also two large 

 urns, one holding twelve, the other twenty quarts, with a number of other abori- 

 ginal relics. At the mouth of Town creek, some distance below, there was 

 formerly, no doubt, an Indian town or camp, (L,) judging from the quantity of 

 reUcs found here. A very fine description of clay is found at this spot, which is 

 resorted to by the Catawba Indians every spring and autumn, for the purpose of 

 manufacturing pottery from it. 



" Boykin's mound (M) is one mile lower down the river upon the same bank. 

 It is now nearly washed away by the river. Twenty years ago, when I first saw 

 it, large trees covered it, and it was entire. Four years afterwards I visited it, 

 when only about one third remained, which on the side next the river beautifully 

 exhibited the various strata composing it. It had the usual layers of earth, 

 pottery, charred reeds, etc. Some few of the vases were entire, containing frag- 

 ments of bones, and were well arranged in tiers, one above the other. 



" Last of the series is Nixon's mound (N). It is much reduced, and is not now 

 more than ten feet high. From this to the sea I know of no similar relics. Paint 

 hill and Kirkwood, in the neighborhood of Pine-tree creek, must have been much 

 frequented, judging from the numerous relics occurring on and around them ; 

 the former for its pure water, the latter for its fine clay. Hobkirk's hill, near 

 Camden, abounds in aboriginal relics. I have procured several large pipes from 

 these localities, all of which exhibit a skill in workmanship surpassing that of the 

 present race. The entire section in which the above remains occur is exceedingly 

 fertile, and capable of sustaining a large agricultural population." 



PLATE XXXVIIl. No. 1.* 



ANCIENT WORKS ON THE ETOWAH RIVER, ALABAMA, 



This work occurs within the present limits of the State of Alabama, upon the 

 banks of Etowah river, a branch of the Coosa. It is situated upon an alluvial 

 " bottom," at an angle or bend of the stream ; and its defences consist of a semi- 

 circular ditch, the flanks of which rest on the river. This ditch is twenty-five 



* From the Rafinesque MSS. The scale on which the plan is drawn is not given. It is probably 

 about five hundred feet to the inch. An account of this work, substantially the same with that given by 

 Prof. Rafinesqle, was published by Mr. E. Cornelius, in Silliman's Journal, vol. i. p. 223. Mr. Cornelius 

 was accompanied in his visit by seveial Indian chic^fs, who, he says, " gazed upon the remains with as 

 much curiosity as any white man. I inquired," continues Mr. C, " of the oldest chief, if the natives had 

 any tradition concerning them ; to which he answered in the negative. 1 then recpiested each to say 

 what he supposed was their origin. Neither could tell ; but all agreed in saying, 'They were never put 

 up bv our people.' " 



