xxxvi PREFACE. 



Acknowledgment is also due to Rev. R. Mokris, of Mount Sylvan, Lat'ayette 

 county, Mississippi, for valuable facts relating to the monuments of the South. 

 Although but recently commenced, Mr. Morris's investigations have been prosecuted 

 in a manner which gives promise of important results. 



It will be observed that several plans and notices of ancient works are presented 

 in the succeeding chapters, upon the authority of the late Prof. C. S. Rafinesque. 

 This gentleman, while living, devoted considerable attention to the antiquities of 

 the Mississippi valley, and published several brief papers relating to them. His 

 notes and plans, for the most part brief, crude, and imperfect, at his death found 

 their way into the possession of Brantz Mayer, Esq., of Baltimore, late Secre- 

 tary of the American Legation to Mexico. This gentleman placed them in the 

 hands of the authors, with liberty to make use of the information which they 

 contained. They, however, have chosen to avail themselves of this permis- 

 sion, only so far as to adopt Prof. Rafinesque's plans, etc., in cases where they 

 have either been able to verify them in person, or to assure themselves by colla- 

 teral evidence of their accuracy in all essential particulars. His notes are 

 principally important, as indicating the localities of many interesting monuments, 

 rather than as conveying any satisfactory information concerning them. 



To Samuel George Morton, M.D., of Philadelphia, the eminent author of 

 " Crania Americana,'''' is acknowledgment especially due, not only for the warm 

 interest manifested in these investigations from their commencement, but for the 

 use of valuable manuscripts relating to our antiquities, — the collections of many 

 years of laborious research in collateral departments. Among these is the brief 

 account of the ancient remains on the Wateree river in South Carolina, by Dr. 

 William Blanding ; and also the highly important account of the monuments of 

 the States bordering the Gulf of Mexico, by William Bartram, the first natu- 

 ralist who penetrated the dense tropical forests of Florida. The history of the 

 MSS. from which the latter account was taken, is unknown. It found its way by 

 accident into the hands of its present possessor. It consists of answers to a series 

 of questions, by a second person, (probably Dr. Barton,) relating to the history, 

 religion, manners, institutions, etc., of the tribes which composed the Creek con- 

 federacy, and is undoubtedly the most complete and accurate account of those 

 Indians in existence. 



Dr. S. P. HiLDRETii, of Marietta, and Prof. John Locke, of Cincinnati, both 

 of whom have devoted much attention to our antiquities, and whose observations 

 upon the subject are distinguished for their accuracy, are also entitled to honorable 

 mention for facts contributed, and assistance rendered. So also, for surveys of 

 ancient works, drawings and descriptions of ancient relics, and facts of various 

 kuids. is acknowledgment due lo .F. Dii.le. Esq., of Newark. Ohio: S. "^1'. Oweins 



