140 Notice of Big Bone Lick. 



feet. In these soft places, saline and sulphurous mineral waters 

 arise.* The earth around these places is dry and solid. 



The ground for several rods around these springs, is entirely with- 

 out vegetation, owing to the salt with which it is impregnated ; and a 

 manufactory of salt was formerly established here, but it is now dis- 

 continued. 



This was formerly the rendezvous of vast herds of quadrupeds. 

 Their trails, when the country was first settled, extended from the 

 Lick, for miles in several directions, like the roads from a metropolis. 

 Vast numbers of these quadrupeds perished in the quagmire ; some 

 probably were slain in battles of emulation and ferocity, and many 

 more were destroyed by carnivorous animals. Here are now found 

 the bones of the mastodon, elephant, buffalo, elk, and of other, and 

 now unknown animals ; they are in immense quantities — it is a com- 

 plete charnel-house. The bones are generally under ground, and 

 so numerous that you cannot dig a hole, to the depth at which they 

 are usually found, without striking them. They are, hovv-ever, gen- 

 erally bones of the buffalo. 



On the east side of a rivulet that runs near the principal spring, 

 they lie in a horizontal stratum, three feet below the surface where 

 the ground is lowest, and eleven, where the ground is eight feet 

 higher. As the ground is dry and solid over this stratum, it cannot 

 be supposed that the bones have sunk through to their present level. 

 Their position also excludes such a supposition, each bone lying hor- 

 izontally, and the stratum also being horizontal. If the bones had 

 descended when the ground was soft, it cannot be supposed that they 

 vi^ould have arranged themselves into a horizontal stratum irrespec- 

 tive of the unevenness of the ground, and of the various depths, three 

 and eleven feet, necessary to attain this horizontal range. It is there- 

 fore evident, that this part of the valley was level v^'hen these bones 

 were deposited, that they lay on the surface and were subsequently 

 covered with earth. As they have been covered without being dis- 

 placed, or the horizontal position of each bone, or of the stratum, 

 disturbed, the only admissible supposition is, that they have been 

 covered by an inundation. They must have been long accumula- 

 ting ; for there has been no accumulation since that event, which 

 bears any comparison for quantity, with those thus imbedded. The 



The waters are beiielkial to licallh ; but the place is not luucli resorted to. 



