48 EXPEDITION TO THE 



tions resembling wells ; we met with none of these ; they 

 are said to be very numerous, and are generally attributed 

 to the first French adventurers, who being constantly in- 

 tent upon the search of the precious metals, commenced 

 digging wherever they observed a favourable indication ; 

 not having seen any of these, we could not pretend to ex- 

 press an opinion upon their origin, but from the number in 

 which they are represented to be, as well as from their di- 

 mensions, they appear to us far exceeding the abilities of 

 those to whom they are attributed : and to have required 

 a much more numerous and permanent population than 

 these adventurers are known to have brought over with 

 them; we would therefore prefer the opinion which as- 

 cribes them to the same nations that erected the mounds, 

 and who may have sunk these wells, either for pur- 

 poses of self-defence, according to the usual mode of Indian 

 warfare, or as habitations, in the manner known to be 

 practised by some Indian tribes, (vide Harmon's descrip- 

 tion of the Carriers^* J or finally, for some other cause as 

 yet undiscovered. Their great depth, which is said at 

 this time in many cases to exceed twenty feet, may be 

 considered as an objection to the opinion which we have 

 advanced. The supposition of Mr. Atwater,that these wells, 

 which he states to be at least a thousand in number, were 

 opened for the mere purpose of extracting rock crystal and 

 hornstone, appears to us too refined ; what ever may have been 

 the advances of these nations in civilization, we have no 

 reason to believe that they had carried them so far as to be 

 induced to undertake immense mining operations, for the 

 mere purpose of obtaining these articles. (Archaeologia 

 Americana, vol. i. p. 130.) 



Newark is a pleasant little town, situated at the fork of 



•Journal of a Voyage and Travels in the Interior of North America, 

 by n. W. Harmon, Andover, 1820. 



