MOUND-BUILDERS IN ILLINOIS. 259 



found, I was disposed to associate it with the bone of a mastodon found 

 in a similar position higher up the river; but I am now satisfied it is a 

 relic from the mounds which abound in its neighborhood. It was found 

 some six feet below the surface of the soil, in the cut made by a little 

 ravine in the bank of Rock River. It stuck out of the bank when first 

 seen, and was imbedded in a material composed of black diluvial or river- 

 drift, filled with pieces of chert and river gravel. The knife is of pure 

 copper, made, I think, by hammering, and resembles in form one of our 

 long, heavy knives. The broad end has a hole for a rivet, and has the 

 edges turned over for about two inches, making a socket for the handle. 

 The blade is exactly 10| inches long, an inch and a half wide at the wid- 

 est part; tapers gradually on both sides — a little more on the cutting 

 edge — to a blunt point. The shape is modern ; but the attachment of 

 the handle is of the age of the Lake Superior copper-raining, and the 

 veined appearance denotes an age equal to the older relics of the mound- 

 builders. 



The next relic is an ax or hatchet, found half-way between Dixon 

 and Sterling, on the north bank of Rock River, on the farm of a Mr. 

 Lawrence. The locality is one of the most charming, and abounds in 

 relics, such as arrow-points and stone axes. This relic is also of cop- 

 per, evidently hammered into its present graceful shape. Several sur- 

 face cracks made by the folding of the metal are to be seen. It is 6^ 

 inches long, 3^ inches wide at the cutting edge. If inches wide at the 

 hammer end, and about one-fourth of an inch thick. There are slight 

 traces of wear on one side, as if made by the friction of a handle. The 

 hatchet resembles a tomahawk, and is a fine specimen of the copper 

 relics of this region. It is in the possession of the writer, but belongs to 

 the collection of Dr. Oliver Everett, of Dixon. Relics of stone pipes are 

 not very abundant. Occasionally one is found made of clay or stone. 



In a collection of two hundred arrow-points belonging to the writer, 

 can be selected all the typical shapes given by Sir William Wilde; with 

 all the modifications figured by Foster, including those supposed to be 

 reamers or borers by some of the collectors. A group of arrow-point 

 figures, taken from Lubbock's Prehistoric Times; Evans' Ancient Im- 

 plements, &c., of Great Britain ; or Squier & Davis's Ancient Monu- 

 ments, &c., will greatly resemble the originals in almost any cabinet in 

 the Northwest. The same is true of spear-heads,' and flint-chippings. 

 Flame-colored chert, dark hornstone, and a whitish chert or flint, were 

 the materials commonly used in their manufacture. The writer has 

 picked up very perfectly shaped flint implements, which must have been 

 used for knives and scrapers. 



Stone hatchets, axes, and skinuingstones are quite plentiful. The 

 finest in the writer's collection was plowed up among the Kishwaukee 

 mounds. It is of spotted polished granite. Avery perfect and artistic 

 tomahawk of stone, of small size, is in the collection of Dr. Everett, at 

 Dixon. The Hanover mounds have furnished a ten-pound ax of very per- 



