630 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



The Indian forts which were attacked by Champlain in northeastern 

 New York in 1609 were constructed of pickets set in a low bank, strength- 

 ened h} interlaciug branches and poles, secured by bark and withes. 

 During the French wars with the Iroquois, on the waters of Lake Ontario, 

 they met with nothing more advanced than these light stockades. The 

 pickets were set in the earth, and the bank raised against them from 

 both sides, to give them a more firm support. In no case was the bank 

 or ditch relied upon as a protection or as an obstacle to those without. 

 They were of a profile too slight for this purpose. 



The northwestern Indians have been questioned in numerous instan- 

 ces as to the authors of the earthworks of the West. They universally 

 deny having any knowledge or tradition of the persons who built them; 

 a tradition which could not have been lost, or the art of making them. 

 The relics which are found in the mounds, in connection with the first 

 or oldeist burials, although there are resemblances, differ from the relics 

 of the red men in many particulars. If stone axes or mauls of the Indian 

 type have been found in the mounds, they are rare. The last-named 

 race were not miners of copper or copper-workers. In the implements 

 of the two races there are resemblances, especially in those which are 

 made of flint, but no greater than in those of the ancient races in Europe, 

 where no connection is claimed. 



It cannot, however, be denied that continued investigations bring to 

 light a strong similarity between the works of the ancient tribes of the 

 South and the mound-builders. If the dividing line shall be broken 

 down as to them, there is a wide difference between the northern tribes 

 and the mound-builders. 



Col. C. C. Jones, of Atlanta, Ga., in his valuable work on the Southern 

 Indians (1874), has given historical proof to show that the Spaniards 

 were witnesses to the erection of such mounds. 



Most of the above descriptive matter is an abstract of my remarks at 

 the Chicago meeting of the American Association, in August, 1871, 

 before the appearance of the book of Colonel Jones. The drawings 

 used at the meeting have been reduced by photograph for this paper. 

 I take pleasure in referring to his work (pages 137 to 143) for details 

 not in ray description, especially the artificial ponds D D, and the mound 

 U inclosed by the moat. The cavities E U U of mj sketch are the 

 ponds P of Colonel Jones, but at the time of my visit were without water. 

 There is but one ascent to the platform A, which is represented at 1, e j, 

 and is in very good condition. Fort Hill no doubt had a relation to this 

 group of mounds answering to the high places of worship which are 

 common in Palestine. 



