56 



Mr. PUTNAM then called Dr. G. A. PERKIXS to the chair, 

 and occupied the evening by giving an account of the 

 fortifications, and other enclosures, made by the Indians 

 and the older races in North America. First, calling at- 

 tention to the fortifications which, from historical evi- 

 dence, were known to have been made and occupied by the 

 different Indian tribes at the early period of the settle- 

 ment of North America by the white race, he described 

 their characteristic structure, which, generally, was that 

 of low earth embankments, with, or without, an outside 

 ditch, and these embankments were generally surmounted 

 by palisades. In other instances the walls were of stone 

 in the place of earth, and in many forts palisades were 

 used without additional defence. He .then described 

 those which, for several reasons, were considered as hav- 

 ing been erected by the mound builders. These were, 

 so far as yet known, confined to the great Mississippi 

 valley, the Ohio valley, and the southern and south- 

 western parts of the country. These structures are far 

 more imposing than those made by the Indians, and are 

 built with more regard to permanence. Many are so 

 situated as to have formed almost impregnable positions, 

 and we cannot but believe that their defenders must have 

 maintained them for years, until finally they were forced, 

 by continued battles and probably from lack of subsis- 

 tence, to migrate farther to the southwest, or were so re- 

 duced by starvation as to become exterminated. 



Many interesting comparisons were made between the 

 fortifications in different parts of the country, and also 

 those of South America, the Pacific Islands and the an- 

 cient parts of the old world, showing that in all lands, and 

 during nearly all time, there had been a continued system 

 of warfare and extermination of races. 



