Extracts from a MS. Journal. 1(4. 



between them. They were mostly built in low lands; 

 and some are overspread with large trees, beyond the 

 reach of Indian tradition. About 12 miles from the 

 upper northern parts of the Choktah country, there 

 stand on a level tract of land, the north side of a creek, 

 and within arrow-shot of it, two long mounds of 

 earth, which were old garrisons, in an equal direction 

 with each other, and about two arrow-shots apart. 

 A broad deep ditch inclosed those two fortresses, and 

 there they raised an high breast-work, to secure their 

 houses from the invading enemy. This was a stu- 

 pendous piece of work, for so small a number of sa- 

 vages as could support themselves in it ; their work- 

 ing instruments being only of stone and wood. They 

 called those old fortresses Nanne Yah, " the hills or 

 mounts of God." — The History of the American In- 

 dians, &c. &c. By James Adair, Esquire. Pages 

 377, 378. London : 1775. It is highly probable, 

 that the mounts mentioned by Mr. Boyd, are some 

 of those to which Adair alludes. 



Note 4. Page 98. This fact cannot but be inte- 

 resting to the historian of the science of Anatomy. 

 Some progress must necessarily have been made in a 

 knowledge of the structure of the human body, par- 

 ticularly of the bony fabric, by a people who had 

 adopted, and rigidly pursued, for a long series of 

 years, a practice such as Mr. Boyd has described. 

 When, moreover, it is recollected, that it was the 

 custom among some of the tribes to carry with them, 

 for years, the bones of their friends, which they occa- 

 sionally anointed with the fat of bears, or other ani- 



