SOME REMAINS of ANTIQUITY. 185 



appear to have been intended as fortifications, or the walis 

 of ]a]-ge towns. 



Thefe remains are fcattered over an immenfe extent of 

 territory in North-America. They are, however, lefs 

 numerous in what I call ihe eaftern-diftrid: of this 'con- 

 tinent : I mean that diftridt which, is included between 

 the great ranges of our mountains and the Eaftern or 

 Atlantic Ocean. It is not difficult to explain the caufe 

 of this difference. In the weflern-diftria:, or the trail 

 of country between the Alleghaney-mountains and the 

 MilfilTipi, and from this river to the Pacific-Ocean, the 

 inofi polifhed nations of America, north of Mexico, 

 refided.* All the eaftern nations appear to have mi- 

 grated from the weft, from the north- weft, or from the 

 fouth-weft.f This feems to me to be a fad, prominent 

 and well eftabliftied in the hiftory of the aboriginal Ame- 

 ricans. It is particularly eftabliftied by the circumftan- 

 ces of the greater population and the fuperior polifti 

 of the weftern nations, when they were firft difcovered j 

 by the _ uniform traditional accounts of all the eaftern 

 nations ; and by the adlual march of many Indian tribes, 

 who now occupy, or who within the laft two hundred 

 years, did occupy, fome of the countries eaft of the Alle- 

 ghaney-mountains. 



It has been a much agitated queftion, in this country, 

 by what people the veftiges which I am confidering were 

 conftruded ? Nor has the queftion remained unnoticed 



* The earthen fortifications are very numerous in that extenfive trad of 

 country which is bounded by the Mifllffipi on the eaft, by the MifTouri on 

 h fo°'"h ^ ""^"^^ of mountains on the weft, and by the White-River on 



• "*" ';';;not "«pt from this obfervation the Efquimaux, who \n the opi- 

 nion of Ur. Roberlfon, were emigrants from the north of Europe. Hi/lor v 

 ofAwenca, Vol. II. p. 40, 41, and 42. Profe/Tor Blumenbach has well deno- 

 minated this notion of the eloquei t iiiftorian "paradoxa opinio." Di Generis 

 Hu,»an: vanetale nation ^.yi%,r^ol^. Gottinga;, 1795. Parado.a opinhnes 

 ar« very numerous m Dr. Robertfon's cekbraled H^lry c/Amema. 



in 



