The American Antiquarian Society. 



S44 



they are erected, so as not to leave any 

 traces by wliich we perceive from 

 whence it was collected, and are as 

 nearly perj>endicular as the earth could 

 be made to lie.' That these are works 

 of great antiquity appears from this de- 

 claration of our author. 



' Trees of the largest size, whose con- 

 centric anuular ring's have been counted, 

 have in many instances as many as four 

 hundred, and they appear to be at least the 

 third growth since the works were occu- 

 pied.' p. 219. 



' Along the Ohio, where the river is in 

 many places washing away its banks, 

 hearths and fire-places are brought to light, 

 two, four and even six feet below the sur- 

 face. A long time must have elapsed since 

 the earth was deposited over them. Around 

 them are spread immense quantities of 

 muscle shells, bones of animals, &c. From 

 the depth of many of these remains of chim- 

 neys below the present surface of the earth, 

 on which, at the settlement of this country 

 by its present inhabitants, grew as large 

 trees as any in the surrounding forest, the 

 conclusion is, that a long period, perhaps a 

 thousand years, has elapsed since these 

 hearths were deserted.' pp. 225, 226. 



The first of these mounds and' forts,' 

 as (hey are usually called, in a north- 

 eastern direction, is on the south side 

 of Ontario, not far from Black river. 

 One on the Chenango river, at Oxford, 

 is the fiu-thcst south, on the eastern side 

 of the AUeghanies. 



♦ Tliese works are small, very ancient, 

 and appear to mark the utmost extent of 

 the settlement of the people who erected 

 them in that direction. In travelling to- 

 wards Lake Erie, in a western direction 

 from the works above-mentioned, a few 

 smull works are occasionally found, espe- 

 cially in the Genessee country. But they 

 are few and small, until we arrive at the 

 mouth of Cataraugus creek, a waterof Lake 

 Erie, in Cataraugus connty, in the State of 

 New York; where Governor Clinton, in 

 his Memoir says, a line of forts commences, 

 extending south upwards of fifty miles, and 

 not more than four or five miles apart. 

 There is said to be another line of them 

 parallel to these, which generally contain 

 a few acres of ground only, whose walls 

 are only a few feet in height. Travelling 

 towards the south-west, these works are 

 frequently seen, but, like those already 

 mentioned, they are comparatively small, 

 until we arrive on the Licking, near New- 

 ark, where are some of the most extensive 

 and intricate of any in this State, perhaps 

 in the world. Leaving these, still pro- 

 ceeding in a south-western direction, we 

 find some very extensive ones at Circle- 

 ville. At Chillicothe there were some, but 

 the destrojiiig hand of man has despoiled 



[July 1, 



them of their contents, and entirely re- 

 moved them. On Paint Creek are some, 

 far exceeding all others in some respects, 

 where probably was once an ancient city 

 of great extent. At the mouth of the Scioto 

 are some very extensive ones, as well as at 

 the mouth of the Muskingum. In fine, 

 these works are thickly scattered over the 

 vast plain from the southern shore of Lake 

 Erie to the Mexican gulf, increasing in num- 

 ber, size, and grandeur, as we proceed to- 

 wards the south. They may be traced 

 around the gulf, across the province of 

 Texas into New Mexico, and all the way 

 into South America.' pp. 122 — 124. 



Mr. Atwater, professing ' to examine 

 with care and describe with fidelity, 

 those antiquities which are found in the 

 state of Ohio,' proceeds to give an ac- 

 count of several of the most consider- 

 able and curious, from actual measure- 

 ment and survey. The ancient works 

 near Newark, in Licking county, are of 

 great extent. A fort, nearly in the 

 form of an octagon, enclosing about 

 forty acres, constructed of walls ten 

 feet high, is connected with a round 

 fort of twenty-two acres, by parallel 

 walls of equal height. Similar walls 

 form a passage to the Licking river 

 northerly, and run in a southerly di- 

 rection to an unexplored distance. A 

 like guarded pass-way, 300 chains in 

 length, leads to a square fort contain- 

 ing twenty acres, which is in the same 

 manner connected with a round one 

 containing twenty-six acres. At the 

 extremities of the outer passes, are 

 what may be called ' round towers :' 

 and adjacent to one of the forts is ' an 

 observatory, partly of stone, thirty feet 

 high. ' It commands a full view of a 

 considerable part, if not all of the plain 

 on which these ancient works stand ; 

 and would do so now, were the thick 

 growth of aged forest trees which clothe 

 this tract cleared away. Under this 

 observatory was a passage, from appear- 

 ances, and a secret one probably, to 

 the water course which once run near 

 this spot, but has since moved further 

 off.' 



* A few miles below Newark, on the 

 south side of the Licking, are some extra- 

 ordinary holes dug in the earth. In popular 

 language they are called " wells," but 

 were not dug for the purpose of procuring 

 water, either fresh or salt. There are at 

 least a thousand of these wells ; many of 

 them are more than twenty feet in depth. 

 A great deal of curiosity has been excited 

 as to the objects sought for by the people 

 who dug these holes.' p. 130. 



In Perry county is a large stone work 

 of a triangular form, enclosing upwards 



of 



