46 EXPEDITION TO THE 



still no light has as yet been thrown upon the name, and 

 date, of the once populous nation which formerly flourish- 

 ed on the banks of the numerous tributary streams of the 

 Ohio. 



Such were the reflexions suggested to us by our visit to 

 the numerous mounds and Indian works which abound in 

 this part of the country, the first of which we observed in 

 the small village of Irville, situated eleven miles west of 

 Zanesville. It has been opened, and as usual, it has yielded 

 bones. This mound was about fifteen feet in diameter and 

 four and a half in height; it appears to have had an 

 elliptic basis. Our guide told us, that he was present at the 

 opening of it, and that there were a number of human 

 bones, and among others, a tolerably entire skeleton which 

 laid with its head to the north-west ; the arms wei-e thrown 

 back over the head. Besides the bones, there were nume- 

 rous spear and arrow points, and of the latter, we picked 

 up one on the spot. There was also a plate of copper of the 

 length of the hand, and from five to six inches in width, it 

 was rolled up at the sides, and had two holes near the cen- 

 tre •, its weight, we were told, might have been about a quar- 

 ter of a pound, but was probably heavier ; for it must have 

 been very thin, if, with those dimensions, it weighed so 

 little. What could have been the use of it, except as an 

 ornament, was not determined ; indeed, the inhabitants of 

 that part of the country are so much accustomed to dig up 

 bones, and remains of the Aborigines, that they are very 

 careless about observing or recording the objects found, 

 and the circumstances under which they were discovered. 

 We were told that pieces of copper, and even of brass, had 

 been frequently collected. The copper may easily be ac- 

 counted for, without a reference to a higher degree of 

 civilization, or to an intercourse with nations more ad- 



