46 I'KOCKKWNas OF TIIK ANATOMICAL ANI> ANTII Kol'Ol.oCICA I, 



nected with, though when the piles supported the ancient dwelling's in 

 question they must have been surrounded by its waters. 



Doubtless a considerable element of uncertainty is involved in 

 these computations, but when we consider the uniform way in which 

 Nature generally carries on her operations, they cannot by any means 

 be lightly estimated in value or cast aside as wholly unreliable. 



Lake dwellings are numerous in Britain, but they have not yet 

 been so much explored as to throw any light on their age. 



There are the remains of a small one on Loch Kinnord, near 

 Dinnet, from the bottom of which two log canoes were fished out 

 some years ago. They are also numerous in Ireland. 



For the further following up of the subject in hand our explorers 

 now take a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, and, penetrating to the 

 heart of North America, visit the earth mounds of the Mississippi, 

 and especially the valleys of the Ohio and its tributaries. When 

 about 280 years ago the first European settlers entered the valley of 

 the Ohio they found the whole region covered with what was con- 

 sidered the primeval forest and tenanted by the Red Indian hunter, 

 who roamed over it without any fixed abode. No one then imagined 

 that below this forest there lay the memorials of a race of older date 

 and more advanced in the arts than the Indians, who had not even the 

 slightest traditionary knowledge respecting their more civilised pre- 

 decessors. It is not more than about sixty to seventy years since 

 these mounds were discovered. There are hundreds of them, and 

 they have served some for temples, others for defence, and others for 

 sepulchres. 



Judging from the form of the skulls dug out of the burial-places 

 this ancient people was of the Mexican race. Some of these earth- 

 works are on so grand a scale as to embrace areas of i>0 to 100 

 acres, and from them have been extracted numerous specimens of 

 pottery and ornamental sculpture, various articles in silver, copper 

 and stone and weapons very similar in shape to some Hint implements 

 found near Amiens in France, and to which I shall draw your atten- 

 tion further on. 



