On Elephantine Bones. 31 



to the south of lat. 36i°, in the tract of country now called 

 Tennessee*. But we are now well assured, that this 

 quadruped had existed, in many parts of America, se- 

 veral degrees below the most southern limits of the state 

 of Tennessee. 



I have said, that the ranges of our mountains did not 

 prevent the passage of the Mammoth from the western 

 to the eastern, or from the eastern to the Western, parts 

 of the continent. I am much inclined, however, to be- 

 lieve, that this quadruped has ahvays been a much more 

 common animal in the countries to the west, than in 

 those to the east, of the Aileghaney- Mountains. Certain 

 it is, that we have already discovered a much greater 

 number of the Mammoth's remains in the former than 

 in the latter of these districts ; although, from the pro- 

 gress of settlement in, and from the explorations of, the. 

 continent of North- America, the very reverse should 

 have been expected, admitting it to be a fact, that the 

 remains were equally abundant, in an equal extent of 

 country, on both sides of the mountains. I need say 

 nothing to ycu concerning the immense collections of 

 Mammoth's bones that have, at various periods, been 

 discovered in Kentucky, particularly in and about the 

 great salt-licks. Collections, not less extensive, have 

 been discovered to the west of the Missisippi. But in 

 the tract of country to the east of the Aileghaney and 

 North-Mountains, we not only have not discovered these 

 vestiges so abundantly cumulated, but we have disco- 



* Notes on the State of Virginia ; written in the year 178 1, Sec. 

 pages 71, 76. Original edition, printed in 1782. 



