Who Built the Mounds? 31 



ages. That they were the work of a different race from 

 the present Indians, has been pretty confidently asserted ; 

 but, as yet, proof is entirely wanting to support such a con- 

 clusion. In a few instances European articles have been 

 found in and about some of these works. But few persons 

 of intelligence pronounced these works older than others of 

 the same kind found occupied by the Indians at the time of 

 the French wars.'' (Drake, p. 60). 



Bartram in his travels in Florida relates : " The Indians 

 collected the bones of the tribe and proceeded in a solemn 

 manner to excavate a hole in the ground in which they de- 

 posited the bones, and after covering them up they elevated 

 a circular mound of earth over the spot" (Bartram's Trav- 

 els, p. 514. iSTew York Aboriginal Monuments, p. 68.) 

 When Gen. Oglethrop landed in Georgia, in 1732, he 

 communicated to the Indians the contents of the journal 

 of Sir Walter Raleigh. They pointed out to Oglethrop 

 a place near Yamacran bluff on which there was a 

 large mound in which was buried, they said, a chief who 

 had talked with Sir Walter Raleigh upon that spot. The 

 chief had requested his people to bury him there. (Commis- 

 sioners' Report on Georgia Affairs, p. 119. Drake's Indians, 

 p. 3G9.) 



A mound opened by Jefferson on the Ravenna river was 

 attributed by him to recent Indians. (Jefferson's ISTotes on 

 Virginia.) 



A document accompanying the President's message of 

 180G describes a mound of considerable size erected by the 

 Natchez Indians when they were expelled from Louisiana 

 (President Jefferson's Documents). Forbes was of the opinion 

 that the mounds, thirty miles south of JSTatchez were erected 

 by the Cherokee Indians, He states that the trees growing 

 on the mounds were decidedly smaller than those growing 

 on the adjacent grounds. 



La Salle and his companions visited, two hundred years 

 ago, the iSTatchez Indians. The town was surrounded by 

 strong earthworks defended by tall stakes. They kept a per- 

 petual fire burning on a mound which was forty-five feet 

 high. 



