216 j^vtices of Big-bone Lick. 



grinders arc found entire, with broken, but undecaycd portions of 

 bone entangled between their roots. Such as appear rubbed, or 

 waterworn, may be those that have been washed out of their 

 ancient bed, in modern times, or may have been the remains of 

 individuals that died before the general destruction. The later- 

 ally jvorn tusks, already described, perhaps belonged to some of 

 these ; and this abrasion may have been slowly effected, before 

 the comminution of the others took place, and by different 

 means. If, during some general inundation, a whirlpool had 

 formed in this valley, from which, after much violent collision, 

 these bones were deposited, the heads, teeth, and tusks, and other 

 hard and heavy parts settling down together, where is now the 

 great spring, many of the remarkable tircumstances we have 

 noted, would be explained. Dr. Buckland, in endeavouring to 

 account for the similar accumulations of various teeth, and bones 

 found in Germany, says " they were most probably drifted together 

 by eddies, in the diluvian waters."* I had not observed this pass- 

 age, when I was led to account in the same manner, for the pile 

 at Big-bone Lick ; which I mention, merely to show how natu- 

 rally this idea suggests itself. 



I do not venture to say any thing with regard to the period at 

 which this event may be supposed to have taken place. The 

 natural phenomena do not furnish data sufficient to enable us to 

 fix upon this with any degree of precision. I will merely ob- 

 serve, that it must be referred as far back as we can conceive it 

 possible for animal substances to be preserved under the circum- 

 stances described. 



Enough has been established, however, to authorize us to con- 

 clude, that the region which borders the Ohio was formerly in- 

 habited by different animals from those which have peopled it 

 from the earliest times of which we possess any account. 



Two of these, the mastodon and megalonyx, belonged to ge- 

 nera now unknown, but having much affinity to some that still 

 inhabit the torrid zone. The former, though allied to the ele- 

 phants, was materially different in the teeth and some other par- 

 ticulars, indicating a considerable difference in habits. The other 

 was allied to the sloths, and their co-ordinate genera, but was 

 greatly superior in size to any species now living. 



Buckland p. 181. 



