338 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XV. No. 383 



same denomination. The blocks in each row are numbered from 

 left to right, and from zero to ten, while the longitudinal bars 

 underneath have engraved- upon them the denomination of the 

 coils of that row. The connections of the coils are such that but 

 one plug is required for each denomination. By inserting it in 

 any block, as many coils of that denomination are thrown in as 

 may be indicated by the particular number engraved upon the 

 block. Thus, as the cut represents it, there are in circuit 369 

 ohms; i.e., no thousands, three hundreds, six tens, and nine units. 

 Another feature of this set is the arrangement of the bridge-arms, 

 which are seen at the left. These are combined with reversing- 

 bars, so that the proportional arms may be instantly interchanged, 

 — an operation which is necessary in many special methods. An 

 additional advantage is, that but six coils are necessary in the 

 bridge, instead of eight as usual, to get the proportion of 1 to 

 1,000, or 1,000 to 1, thus making the set smaller and more porta- 

 ble. The bridge-coils are 1, 10, and 100 on one side, and 10, 100, 

 and 1,000 on the other. To effect this reversal, two plugs only 

 have to be changed. The coils are platinoid wire, which has a 

 very high specific resistance, and changing by but .0023 of one 

 per cent for each degree Centigrade of temperature variation. 

 They are adjusted by Professor William A. Anthony to an ac- 

 curacy of from one fifth to one-tenth of one per cent, while the 

 bridge-arms themselves are adjusted to a still higher degree of 

 accm-acy. The galvanometer is a successful adaptation of a 

 laboratory instrument to the needs of portable work, and is claimed 

 to be the most sensitive, complete, and portable instrument ever 

 combined in a set of this character. The wire is of several hun- 

 dred ohms resistance, and is wound so as to have a maximum 

 effect upon the needle. The needle itself is an astatic one, and 

 delicately suspended by a very fine cocoon fibre, so that there is 

 practically no resistance to any deflecting force. By means of a 

 very weak controlling magnet sliding upon the suspension-tube, 

 the needle can be made almost perfectly astatic, and will show an 

 appreciable deflection for currents as small as from -^\-^ to -g^^^ of 

 an ampere. The brass box containing needle and coil is movable 

 about a vertical axis ; so that the needle can always be brought to 

 zero, whatever the position of the box as a whole. The whole 

 galvanometer lifts out of its position in the case, and can be used 

 independently, or in connection with other apparatus if desired, 

 three levelling-screws being provided for levelling when so used. 

 By closing the cover of the box, the weight of the needles is auto- 

 matically taken from the fibre, and the latter protected from in- 

 jury. The battery and galvanometer-key are seen in the front of 

 the box, and are independent of each other. The whole is mounted 

 up in a polished mahogany box with leather handles and lock and 

 key, and measures when complete but 18 inches long by 6^^ inches 

 broad. Fig. 3 is a cut of the same thing without the galvanom- 

 eter, and it is of course somewhat shorter. These sets have a 

 range of measurement from .^^^ of an ohm to 10 megohms. 



Fig. 3 shows one of the other sets of the series, and is of much 

 the same general character. The coils, instead of platinoid, are 

 made of German silver, and aie not quite so accurately adjusted, 

 while the set is without the reversing arrangement found in the 

 ones just described. The galvanometer also is fibre-suspended, 

 but without the automatic release. For this purpose a small set 

 screw is used, which allows the needle to be lowered when not in 

 use. The galvanometer is permanently mounted in the case, and 

 is without the control-magnet. The keys are combined into the 

 regular double contact form. This set, as represented in the cut, 

 has but three rows of resistance; viz., the units, tens, and hun- 

 dreds. It is also made with an additional row of thousands. This 

 set is also made without the galvanometer. 



Messrs. R T. Hilx, and J. S. Stone have recently made some 

 important explorations in southern Indian Territory, — a region 

 about which little has hitherto been known geographically or geo- 

 logically. They find that the Indian Territory is divided into dis- 

 tinct northern and southern divisions by the Ouachita mountain 

 system. The southernmost of these divisions has been the special 

 object of their studies, and they have secured most valuable data 

 concerning it, as well as the history of the medial portion of Red 

 Kiver, which has not hitherto been investigated. 



THE CHEEOKEES IN PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES. 

 III. 



[In Science of May 30, p. 324, in the previous article on this subject, Fig. 3 is 

 incorrect. The correct figure will be given in the revised edition of these 

 papers when published in book form.] 



Summing up the evidence introduced, it leads to the fol- 

 lowing conclusions: — 



1. That some of the Cterokees reached their historic 

 seat before the year 1540, probably as early as the latter part 

 of the thirteenth century. 



2. That they came from some point to the north or north- 

 west, apparently in the region of the Ohio River. 



3. That some, if not all, of the mounds of western North 

 Carolina and East Tennessee were built by the people of this 

 tribe. 



Assuming these points to be sufficiently established, let us 

 see what evidence can be adduced indicating their line of 

 migration. 



If their former home was in the region of the Upper Ohio, 

 and they stopped for a while on New River and the head 

 waters of the Holston, their line of retreat was in all likeli- 

 hood up the valley of the Great Kanawha. This suppo- 

 sition agrees also with the fact that no traces of them are 

 found in the ancient works of Kentucky or middle 

 Tennessee. In truth, the works along the Ohio River from 

 Portsmouth (except those at this point) to Cincinnati, and 

 throughout northern Kentucky, are different from the typi- 

 cal works of Ohio, and most of them of a type found in no 

 other district. On the other hand, it happens, precisely in 

 accordance with the theory advanced, that we find in the 

 Kanawha valley, near the city of Charleston, a very exten- 

 sive group of ancient works, stretching along the banks 

 of the stream for more than two miles, consisting of quite 

 large as well as small mounds, circular and rectangular 

 enclosures, etc. A careful survey of this group has been 

 made, and a number of the tumuli, including the larger 

 ones, explored by the representatives of the Bureau of Eth- 

 nology. 



The result of these explorations has been to bring to light 

 some very important data bearing upon the present ques- 

 tion. In fact, the discoveries made here seem to furnish the 

 connecting link between some of the works of Ohio and 

 those of East Tennessee and North Carolina ascribed to the 

 Cherokees. 



Subsequent to the preparation of the paper on the "Burial- 

 Mounds of the Northern section," published in the "Fifth 

 Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology," further explo- 

 rations and a careful resurvey of the group near Charleston 

 were made. In order to show the bearing of the data 

 obtained on the questions involved in this discussion, it is 

 necessary to give somewhat detailed descriptions of some of 

 the mounds explored. 



Mound 15 of this group (for convenience the numbers in 

 the original sketch are used) was sixty-five feet in diameter 

 and five in height, though a considerable portion had been 

 ploughed off in cultivating the soil. In the top was a ba- 

 sin-shaped fire-bed somewhat oval in outline, being about 

 seven feet long and four feet wide. This was composed of a 

 mixture of clay and ashes burned to a brick red on the up- 

 per side; but the under side had a black, greasy appear- 



