1 72 DAVEXPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



and Mr. Potter's letter in the Eureka (Xevada) Sentinel. I have done so, 

 not with the view of showing their statements intentionally false, but to 

 correct the errors arrived at by a minute examination of the mounds re- 

 ferred to by them. Mr. Potter is alone responsible for all the statements, 

 which were evidently made with the idea of proving that these rains be- 

 longed to the ancient race known to the Mormons as Nepliites, who are 

 said to have been a great people, cultivating wheat and acquainted with 

 the use of iron. Miss Wirt derived her information wholly from Mr. 

 Potter. Various persons in Utah, Latter Day Saints, spoke to me freely 

 regarding these discoveries and regretted that the statements sliould have 

 been made in the proceedings of tlie Academy, or that they should in 

 any sense be regarded as gotten up in the interests of the Mormon 

 church, inasmuch as none of them concur with Mr. Potter in his extrav- 

 agant, and as we have shown, absurd views. 



Inscribed Rocks in Cleona Township. 



BY REV. J. GASS. 



To the Davenport Academy of Xatural Sciences : 



In accordance with a request of the Academy at the meeting of May 

 '2oth, in reference to some insciibed stones found in a creek near Cleona, 

 I visited the place again on the 20th of this month (Septeaiber) for the 

 purpose of a further investigation of this remarkable group of stones. 

 The water in the creek is now very low, giving a better opportunity for a 

 close examination of the spot. My labor was soon rewarded by obtain- 

 ing two inscribed stones, which are now in our Museum. The very large 

 one I found upon further examination to be of very little interest, and 

 scarcely worth moving. 



These stones (except one), are a very dark-colored, very hard, heavy 

 and coarse greenstone. One of these stones, the one exhibiting the 

 greatest number and variety of forms cut upon its surface, is of a very 

 irregular natural form, and seemingly ill-suited for such a use. The fig- 

 ures, however, though exceedingly crude and rough, are quite distinct 

 and unmistakable, and consist of a liuuian head, a four-footed' animal 

 (perhaps a bear), a bii'd, a form much resembling the human forms cut 

 upon the Cook Farm tablets ; a portion of the features of another human 

 face, and the upper portions of another human form; also, some other 

 marks which have no significance as far as we can recognize. 



Another of the stones is of an almost regular oval form, about twice 

 as large as a man's head, and on it is cut in sharp grooves the outlines of 

 the human features with perfect distinctness and quite regular form. 



Another smaller stone exhibits a few mere scratches, or irregular 

 curved and straight lines. 



The fourth stone, which is much larger, weighing 100 lbs. or more, a 

 very hard, light-colored quartzite. presents only a very uncouth human 

 head on one side, and an equally crude tree on the other. 



All the other stones of this group are entirely destitute of engravings 



