EARTHWORKS ON THE BIG UARPETU RIVER. 57 



Dimensions of the ^[ounds. 



When the ground inclosed by the earthwork was cleared about forty years ago, 

 the mounds and ditch are said to have been covered with large trees, equal in size 

 and age to those in the surrounding forests. A white-oak four feet in diameter is 

 said to have stood in the ditch. There were seven " passways" over the works, at 

 convenient distances from each other, and about eight feet wide, as long as the 

 earth remained as the aborigines had left it. At that time, the ditch was five or 

 six feet wide, and three or four feet deep. The earth forming the embankments 

 appears to have been thrown upon the outside, so that the ditch was within the 

 line of fortifications. Both the earth-wall and ditch have been greatly altered by 

 the weather and by the ploughshare ; so that at present they are in some places 

 scarcely visible, and it is impossible to determine either the original height of the 

 one or the depth of the other. Near where the entrenchment strikes the river- 

 bank, at the commencement of the steep bluff", is a large and never-failing spring 

 of excellent water. At another portion of the inclosure, indicated on the plan, there 

 is a covert-way, or ditch, leading to the bluif, and down through a crevice to the 

 river's edge. 



The large, oblong mound A had no stone graves in its upper layer, but a shaft 

 sunk into its centre, through its entire depth, revealed near the bottom and close 

 to the original surface of the earth, a hard, red, burned surface, or altar, with ashes 

 and charcoal resting on it. It appears that the mass of earth composing the mound 

 had been erected upon the altar. 



The four next largest mounds (B, C, D, and F) in like manner contained no stone 

 coffins or human bones, but appeared to have been used for .similar purposes as 

 the large oblong mound ; the interior giving evidence of having been burned with 

 very hot fires, the red burnt stratum resembling bricks in hardness, so that it was 

 possible to dig out with a pick-axe compact pieces of it a foot thick. 



The burial mounds were four in number and smaller in size, and lay between 

 this outer chain of sacrificial mounds and tlie river. 



Only three or four stone graves were found in E and G, and these contained 

 nothing of interest in the nature of relics, except a few common earthen vases 

 which were in every case broken into small fragments. 



The two burial mounds marked H and I, and nearest the largest oblong mound, 

 contained a number of carefully constructed stone coffins, the lids of which were 

 about a foot beneath tlie surface of the ground. 



Remarkable and interesting relics were obtained from these two mounds. The 



8 April, 1876. 



