SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 45 



the valley of Licking creek, was very even. The rocks 

 w^ere always concealed from view, except in one or two 

 places, where abrupt cliffs rose at too great a distance from 

 the road, to permit us to decide upon their nature ; but their 

 general aspect appeared to connect them with those ob- 

 served in the vicinity of Zanesville. 



Our attention was, however, soon directed in another 

 channel. The country aljout the Muskingum appears to 

 have been at a former period the seat of a very extensive 

 Aboriginal population. Every where do we observe in 

 this valley, remains of works which attest, at the same 

 time, the number, the genius, and the perseverance of 

 those departed nations. Their works have survived the 

 lapse of ages ; but the spirit which prompted them has dis- 

 appeared. We wander over the face of the country; 

 wherever we go, we mark the monuments which they have 

 erected ; we would interrogate them as to the authors of 

 these mighty works, but no voice replies to ours save that of 

 the echo. The mind seeks in vain for some clew to assist 

 it in unravelling the mystery. Was their industry stimulated 

 by the desire of protecting themselves against the in- 

 roads of invaders, or were they themselves the trespassers ? 

 did they migrate to this spot, and if so, whence came they ? 

 who were they ? where went they ? and wherefore came 

 they here ? Their works have been torn open ; they have 

 been searched into, but all in vain. The mound is now 

 levelled with the sod of the valley ; the accumulated earth 

 which was perhaps collected from a distance into one im- 

 mense mass to erect a monument deemed indestructible, over 

 the remains of some western Pharoah, is now scattered oves 

 the ground so that its concealed treasure may be brought 

 to light. Every bone is accurately examined, every piece 

 of metal or fragment of broken pottery is curiously studied, 



