38b ANTIQUITIES OF PERRY COUNTY, OHIO ANDERSON. 



Coutiguous to what may be called the valley of graves, on the west 

 side of Flyim's Creek, is a low bluff, in which is a hole large enough to 

 take in at its mouth an ordinary-sized barrel. This hole is the entrance 

 to a cave under the hill, which has been explored to the distance of about 

 300 feet. This cave is high enough to allow walking in it erect, is 

 quite roomy, and perfectly dry. In it was found, in 1863, a chest or 

 box, made of black-walnut plank 1^ inches thick. It was about 2 feet 

 long, 12 inches wide, and 16 inches deep, with a well-formed lid of the 

 same wood. It was decayed on the outside with dry-rot to the depth 

 of about 1 inch, and in some places the finger could be pushed 

 through the wood ; in other i)laces the material was sound inside, and 

 showed that the chest had been neatly dressed with a plane or some 

 other tool, and lined with cloth or some fine, soft substance. In it were 

 found wrapped up, in about three yards of large-checked gingham, a 

 part of which was still sound, about twenty surgical instruments, con- 

 sisting of a crooked knife, a crooked scissors, a lancet, and other articles 

 of which I did not know the name. These instruments were not badly 

 rusted, and in some places still quite bright; they were made of fine 

 steel, finely polished, with handles of tortoise-shell. Dr. U. T. Brown, 

 who has since died, took charge of them, and perhaps his family has 

 some of them still. 



On the hill, some 200 yards high, which joins this valley, is found a 

 pile of loose, rough stones, 5 or 6 feet high. It has not been opened, 

 and therefore no information is to be given as to its contents. 



On the top of another hill, which joins the mound in P. M. Ray's field, 

 about the same distance and height from the mound, is a similar pile of 

 loose stones, which has not been examined. 



ANTIQUITIES OF PERRY COUNTY, OHIO. 



i3y "W". Anderson, of Buownsville, Ohio. 



I send to the Institution some specimens of antiquities from Perry 

 County, Ohio. The mound from which they were obtained is 6 feet 

 high, with a diameter of 25 feet. I found nothing until I reached the 

 original surface of the ground, where there were ashes and charcoal. 

 Two feet beneath these was the skeleton. The relics were deposited near 

 its head. Around the neck was a string of beads of sea-shells. Near 

 its right hand was found a plano-convex stone with holes in it. There 

 were also a large number of arrow-heads and stone axes with and with- 

 out grooves. 



The skeleton was in a poor state of j) reservation. I saved a few bones. 

 Around the skeleton was a quantity of ash-colored soil like that of de- 

 composed bark. I send a specimen of each. 



