MONUMENTS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



109 



or thirty feet in width, by eight feet in depth ; and is interrupted by no less than 

 seven passage-ways, placed at irregular intervals, and formed by leaving the earth 

 unexcavated at the points where they occur. It ia a remarkable fact that no 

 embankment accompanies the ditch ; although the work is not entirely singular 

 in that respect. Within the enclosure thus formed by the river on the one hand 

 and the ditch on the other, are several mounds, one of which is of great size and 

 extraordinary character. It measures upwards of seventy-five feet in height, and 

 is twelve hundred feet in circumference at its base. It is truncated, the area at its 

 summit having a diameter of one hundred and forty feet. A graded avenue, which 

 may be ascended on horseback, leads to its top from the east. Upon its northern 

 and southern sides, at the height of forty feet, are triangular platforms or terraces, 

 which are also reached by graded ascents from the plain. The supplementary 

 plan A exhibits the outlines of the monument. Upon its top, trees are growing, 

 which, at the height of a man's head from the ground, measure httle under 

 eleven feet in circumference. A fallen oak measured by Mr. Cornelius in 1818 

 was found to be, at the distance of six feet from the branching of the roots, twelve feet 

 four inches in circumference, exclusive of the bark. There are two other truncated 

 mounds, to the south-west of the great mound, but of less dimensions. One of 

 these has a perpendicular altitude of thirty feet ; and its summit was fortified, with 

 a parapet and palisades, by the Cherokees in their war with the Creeks. The 

 earth tak'en from the ditch above mentioned was probably used in the construction 

 of these mounds. 



An analogous work of some interest, 

 (Fig. 21,) but partially destroyed by the 

 Tennessee river, upon the bank of which 

 it stands, occurs near the town of Flor- 

 ence, in Alabama. " It consists of a 

 large mound, hexagonal in form, trun- 

 cated, and forty-five feet in height by four 

 hundred and forty feet in circumference 

 at the base. The level area at the 

 summit is one hundred and fiflty feet 

 in circumference. It appears to be 

 composed of the ordinary surface loam, 

 and is carried up with great regularity. 

 So far as it has yet been examined, no 

 traces of bones or other foreign substances have been discovered. 



" Partly surrounding the mound is a wall two hundred and seventy feet distant 

 from its base, which extends from the main river below, to a branch formed by 

 Cane island above, constituting a segment of a circle, the centre of which would be 

 in the Tennessee river. The wall is about forty feet across the top, and, making 

 allowances for the ravages of time, must have been originally from twelve to fifteen 

 feet high ; it is now about eight feet in height. The mound and wall bear the 

 same marks of antiquity, both being covered with large timber of the same age and 

 description with that found growing on the surrounding lands. The wall has wliat 

 appears to be a ditch on ihn outi-idp 



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Hiffh Groicnds 



