614 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



runS in consequeuce of his positiou iu regard to the mound-builders. 

 His statement in the quotation made froui his iiaper, that " we find in 

 no part of the country, whether east or north adjacent to the northern 

 tvivilized provinces of Mexico, any trace or any probability of the former 

 existence of an agricultural people," is not only incorrect as shown by 

 subsequent explorations and even by- earlier historical evidence, but is 

 inconsistent with his supposition in regard to the former home. of the 

 mound-builders. For, as will be seen by reference to the extract from 

 his "synopsis" — it_is from this same desert, barren western country 

 which he pronounces void of any indications of former cultivation that 

 he derives the agricultural mound-builders. In this he agrees witli Lewis 

 H. Morgan, who looks to this area as their former home because, as he 

 says, "the evidence of Indian occupation and cultivation throughout 

 the greater part of this area is sufficient to suggest the hypothesis that 

 the Indian here first attained to the condition of the middle status of 

 barbarism and sent forth the migrating bands who carried this advanced 

 culture to the Mississippi valley, to Mexico, and Central America and 

 not unlikely to South America as well."' 



Turning to the more recent authorities we take the following as 

 specimens of the usual method of disposing of this question: 



A broad chasm is to be spauue I before WP cau link tlio mound-liuilileis to the 

 North American Indians. They were essentially ditt'erent in their form of govern- 

 ment, their habits, and their daily pnrsuits. 



The latter, since known to the white man, has spnrned the restraints of a seden- 

 tary life whicli.att.ach to agriculture, and whose reciuirements, in his view, are ignoble. 

 He was never known to erect structure! which would survive the lapse of a gener 

 ation. His lodges consist of a few poh^s, one end planted iu the ground and the 

 other secured with withes at the top, and over wliich were stretched jilaits of niat- 

 tingl or of birch b.ark, or of the skin of the buftVilo.' 



The proofs hereafter presented will show how far this is from being 

 correct, and that this writer, though of acknowledged ability, was igno- 

 rant of the evidence bearing on this subject, or, carried away by a pre- 

 conceived theory, wholly disregarded it. 



As a single item, we give here a statement from the accouiit of " the 

 first voyage of Ealeigh (1.584) to Virginia:" ' 



After they had been divers times aboard our ships myself with seven mori^ went 

 20 miles into the river that runneth toward the city of Skicoak, which river they 

 call Ocam, and the evening following we came to an island which they call Roanoke, 

 distant from the harbor which we entered seven leagues ; and at the north end there- 

 of was a village of nine houses built of cedar and fortified round about with sharp 

 trees to keep lUit their enemies, and the (utrance into it made like a turnpike very 

 artilicially. When we came toward it, standing near to the water side, the wife of 

 Granganimo, the king's brother, came running out to meet us very cheerfiilly and 

 friendly. * ' * When we were come into the outer room, having five rooms in her 

 house, she caused us to sit down by a great fire, aud after took ofi' our clothes and 

 washed them and dried them again ; some of the women plucked off our stockings, 



I Contrib. N. A. Ethn., Vol. 4, p. 192; also lipacli's Iiiilian Miscellany, pp. 2:i5. 



* Foster : Prehistoric Races, p. 347. 



3 Haklnyfs Voy.lges. London Ed., 10(10, Vol. a, p. 3(14, 



