Finch on the Celtic Antiquities of America. 1 55 



fered to the gods ; but he adds, that in his time, this super- 

 stition of worshipping great stones had ahogether ceased. 



Gomara, in his account of Peru, mentions the same prac- 

 tice as still continued amongst the old inhabitants in that 

 country. 



Thus in the various regions of America, the natives had 

 carefully preserved the stones of memorial and sacrifice, in 

 the use of which they had been instructed by their Celtic 

 ancestors, and which in some instances may have been the 

 individual monuments erected by that people. 



If accurately examined, there can be little doubt that 

 America contains an abundan(*e of these rude stones, which 

 were erected by the ancient inhabitants as memorials of 

 their history and exploits in war, or as altars on which to 

 sacrifice to the Deity. The books of the first historians of 

 America, contain many accounts of the homage which was 

 paid by the natives to shapeless rocks, and the sacrifices of- 

 fered upon them ; but in the lapse of time, the Indians be- 

 ing nearly destroyed by diseases or by war, and these stones 

 offering no particular feature to the common observer, 

 scarcely a trace of their present position can be distinctly 

 marked ; but to the historian these rude stones are objects 

 of the highest interest, and every exertion should be made 

 to identify the situations where they occur. 



3, Circles of Memorial were the next monuments erected 

 by the ancient Celtse ; they consist of nine, twelve, or more 

 rude stones, placed so as to form a circle, and were gene- 

 rally placed upon an eminence. 



They answered several purposes ; they were dedicated 

 to religious services, and sacrifices were made either within 

 the sacred circle, or in its vicinity ; at the election of chiefs 

 and leaders, the nations assembled here, and public busi- 

 ness was supposed to be sanctioned by the gods, if trans- 

 acted within the boundary of their temples. They were 

 also used by the priests for astronomical purposes. 



There appear to be at least three of these sacred circles 

 in America. I have been informed of one byDr E.James, 

 the scientific tourist to the Rocky Mountains. It is situated 

 upon a high hill, one mile from the town of Hudson, in the 

 State of New-York, and attracted his notice many years, 

 ago, on account of the remarkable size of the stones, and 

 iheir position. 



