492 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



were dressed off sniootli, or else the dirt was piled close to the edge, m) 

 that a considerable part rolled downward ; at any rate there is a smooth 

 regular slope from toj) to bottom. 



The north end of the west wall has been so cut up by digging gravel 

 that its form can not be determined, and it could not be learned 

 whether there had been a mound there or not. A deep ])ond has 

 been dug on the second terrace a little way out. The pond shown in 

 the plate is a natural depression. 



The east wall has been dug into lately to a limited extent on the 

 top and sides, and a woodchuck has excavated at the bottom in one 

 place. All these exjiosures show sandy soil and tine gravel, but no 

 clay. East of the north end of the east wall there is a depression, where 

 dirt was probably obtained for the construction of this wall; and the 

 owner in setting out some apple trees has reached a stratum of compact 

 yellow clay, some of which may now be seen scattered about each tree; 

 so that, if clay had been desired by the buildere of the embankments, 

 a very little additional labor Mould have given it to them. They could 

 not have been ignorant of its existence, for it shows plainly along the 

 northern slope very close to the surface. 



Both walls went down the northern slope to the level below; whether 

 they reached any distance out on it is not apparent now. Slight traces 

 of the wall leading southward to the mound may be detected where it 

 crosses the lowest part of the cut-ofi'. Beyond this cultivation has 

 effaced it. 



Note. — In his Tvork entitled " Fort Ancii-nt" Mr. Warren K. Moorehead takes De- 

 cision to criticise my estimate of the cnbic contents of deposited earth in the walls 

 of lliis fort as follows: 



"Prof. Thomas's description of the fortification Is quite accurate, hut he is in error 

 as to one thing : he says Mr. Locke's estimate as to the amount of earth in eniliank- 

 ment is a mistake. He figures it at 154,000 cubic yards of eiirth. Prof. Locke falls 

 short of the true ainpunt and Prof. Thomas makes it still smaller Hoth these gen- 

 tlemen seem to forget that the wall on 

 the r.avine side is carried down 30, 40, 

 aud in some places 50 feet from the top. 

 In some places one can plainly see that 

 from 50 feet up the angle is very steep, 

 being the fort wall, while from that 

 % point to the bottom the angle is much 



T, o.ir r^ <■ Af 1 J' » .• QM T.1 ,., less, because it is the natural slope. 

 Fin. 32.). —Copy of Moorelicad .s station 241, 1*1. Vl. ' * 



When the structure was built the earth 

 was thrown over and down into these ravines to make the ascent as steep as possible. 

 We can easily tr-ice the line of division where the artificial earth ends aud the natural 

 side of the ravine begins. In some cases this liue is 40 feet from (below or lower 

 thiin) the summit of the emb.ankment. This would give the embankment an aver- 

 age height of 31 or 32 feet and a lireadth of 69 feet. The length is one mile less 

 than th.at stated by Prof. Thomas. Thus we would have a few hundred more cubic 

 yards of earth than Prof. Locke states, aud many thousands more tliau is given in 

 Prof. Thomas's statement. This estimate is made after very careful consideration, 

 and is surely not far from the correct figures " (p. 79). 



The fact that JUr. Jloorehead has made an egregious error is apparent to any one 

 who has visited the fort. First, because the embankments across the level space at 



