358 Archmologia Americana, 



account of the origin and progress of the society, the volume 

 commences with Father Hennepin's narrative of the discov- 

 ery of the river Mississippi and the adjacent country, by the 

 lakes ; and of La Salle's undertaking to discover the same 

 river, by the gulf of Mexico. Then follow several highly 

 interesting communications from Caleb Atvvater, Esq. of 

 Circleville, Ohio, respecting the ancient fortifications and 

 tumuli, which exist in that and the adjacent states. We have 

 next, a full account of the Indian tribes inhabiting Ohio, by 

 John Johnson, Esq. conjectures respecting the ancient inhabit- 

 ants of North America, by Moses Fiske, Esq. and a communi- 

 cation on the antiquities and curiosities of western Pennsylva- 

 nia, by President Alden. After these, follow several highly val- 

 uable papers written and pubhshed at different times, by S.L. 

 Mitchell, LL. D. " showing the progress of his mind in coming 

 to the conclusion, that the three races of Malays, Tartars, and 

 Scandinavians contribute to make up the American popula- 

 tion." To these are subjoined, a description of a cave, in 

 Kentucky, by J. H. Farnham ; — of a mummy found in the 

 same cave, by Charles Wilkins, Esq. ; of the Caraibs who 

 inhabited the Antilles, by William Sheldon, Esq. ; and of a 

 great and very extraordinary cave in Indiana. 



It is not our object to give a review, or an abstract of this 

 volume :-— the latter would, indeed, be scarcely practicable 

 without the accompanying engravings to illustrate the de- 

 scriptions. We would merely invite the attention of the 

 public to the work, which we think highly creditable to the 

 individuals who have contributed to its pages, and to the so- 

 ciety in whose name it appears. It is a point of no small 

 consequence gained, when a man of the intelligence, zeal 

 and activity of Mr. Atvvater can be brought heartily to en- 

 gage in an undertaking so extensive and arduous, as a com- 

 plete examination and survey of the numerous vestiges of 

 the ancient population, which, there is little I'eason to doubt, 

 once extended from the straits of Bhering to Mexico; and 

 perhaps through the whole of the American continent. It 

 is much to be hoped that this gentleman will be encouraged 

 to proceed, and to give to the pubHc as ample descriptions 

 of the antiquities in the country west of the Mississippi and 

 on the gulf of Mexico, as he has now done of those in his 

 own state and neighborhood. There is undoubtedly a gen- 

 eral similarity in all these ancient works, in whatever part &f 



