30 



■say the sixteenth century, would agree very well, not only with 

 time estimated by the early French explorers, but also with 

 the tradition of the Crees who claim that for three or four 

 -centuries they have lived sole possessors upon the borders of 

 Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg. Our 

 theory then is that the Mound Builders occupied the region of 

 Rainy and Red Rivers from the eleventh to the fifteenth cen- 

 turies. Their works remain. 



how old 



then are the mounds ? If our conclusions are correct the oldest 

 mound in our region cannot exceed 800 years, and the most 

 recent must have been completed upwards of 400 years ago. 

 Look at further considerations, which lead to these conclusions. 

 We learn, that 200 years ago, viz. : in 1683, the " Clistinos " 

 and " Assinipouals " (Crees and Assiniboines) were in their 

 present country. The Crees were at that time in the habit of 

 visiting both Lake Superior and Hudson Bay for the purpose 

 <of trade. They were then extensive nations and no trace of 

 a nation which preceded them was got from them. The fallen 

 tree on the top of the Grand Mound, judging by the concentric 

 rings of its trunk, is 150 or 200 years old, and yet its stump 

 .stands in a foot or more of mould that must have taken longer 

 than that time to form. Even among savage nations it would 

 take upwards of half a dozen generations of men, to lose the 

 memory of so great a catastrophe as the destruction of a former 

 populous race. Then some 400 years ago would agree with 

 the time of extermination of the Hochelagans, or with the de- 

 structions of the Eries, who, according to Labontan, were 

 blotted out before the French came to the continent. The 

 Hochelagans, Eries, and Takawgamis being northern in their 

 habitat. I take it, were among the last of th Toltecans who 

 survived. The white man but arrived upon the scene to suc- 

 ceed the farmer, the metal worker and the potter, who had 

 passed away so disastrously, and to be the avenger of the lost 

 race, in driving before him the savage red man. 



THE EARLIEST MOUND. 



I believe our Grand Mound to be the earliest in the region 

 of the Takawgamis. It is the largest in the region. It will be 

 seen by reference to figure 3 that I arrive at its age in the fol- 

 lowing way. Where it now stands, so striking an object, it is 

 about one-third of a mile above the point where the American 

 River enters the Rainy River. If, however, from the top of 



