ANCIENT WORKS IX THE VICINITY OF I, A K E MICHIGAN. 21 



these works arc situated has a gentle inclination towards the rivei', the banks of 

 which arc about three and a half feet high ; the water has but a moderate current. 

 The soil is composed of a dark sand, with a slight admixture of loam." 



I am further indebted to Mr. Sweet for a survey and brief notice of the group 

 of works on section thirty-one, township twelve, range twenty, represented on Plate 

 XI. They consist mostly of ridges of earth from three to four feet high, and from 

 twelve to fifteen feet wide at the base, and are of various lengths. They are sup- 

 posed to have been originally square at the ends, but now are rounded by the eflects 

 of rain, &c. One mound, one hundred and thirty-two feet in length, is shaped like 

 a war-club. "It has been asserted," says Mr. Sweet, "that this was a regular fort, 

 being an inclosure ; but on a careful examination, I find it is not so. The long 

 mound (thirty-two rods in length) with another at right angles to it, upon a hasty 

 examination, might suggest that idea; but the full survey shows that the conclusion 

 Avould be a wrong one. The land here and for some distance around is level, the 

 soil sandy, lightly timbered with iron-wood [Ostrya virginica) and sugar maple, 

 with no large trees. There are no streams of water within half a mile of these 

 mounds." The last mentioned circumstance is rather unusual. 



There are said to be other localities still further up the Milwaukee River; but 

 their exact situation could not be ascertained, nor could I obtain any reliable 

 account of their character and extent. 



Proceeding northward, in the vicinity of the west shore of Lake Michigan, we 

 find the next ancient works on the Sheboygan River. 



Plate XII. shows the general character of a very interesting group at the country 

 residence of Dr. J. F. Seely, on a prominent point of land on the north side of the 

 river, three miles above its mouth. They are in the northeast quarter of section 

 twenty-eight, in township fifteen, and range twenty-two. The mounds are mostly 

 of the kind called " lizards," though presenting some remarkable variations from 

 the usual type of the species, as a naturalist would say. In one the tail is crooked, 

 with a double curve of serpentine form ; in another it makes a considerable angle 

 with the body; and a third has the front leg or projection extended forward. Two 

 of the mounds are apparently of the same general character, except that they have 

 two gradually tapering extensions or tails, projecting in opposite directions, as will 

 be seen by reference to the plate. At the Doctor's house is a work consisting of 

 three nearly parallel ridges, united at the southern extremity, not far from the edge 

 of the steep hill on which the preceding works are situated. They are about two 

 hundred feet in length, but have only a slight breadth and elevation. 



This promontory resembles in its general form the fortified hills so often found 

 in Northern Ohio and in New York; but, after a careful search, no trace could be 

 found of a wall extending across from one hill to the other. The occupants pro- 

 bably relied for defence upon the natural security of the position, as in numerous 

 other instances in Wisconsin. 



Other works are known to exist towards the head of this fine stream. 



With the exception of a few small mounds near the village of Manitowoc, we 

 have now described all the ancient works in the vicinity of the " Great Lake." 

 The last named are situated on the northeast quarter of township nineteen, half a 



