ANCIENT WORKS NEAR WISCONSIN RIVER. 57 



(it being eight feet higher than the high water of 1832, and about twenty-six feet 

 above the lowest stage,) the mounds were all that could be seen of this island 

 above the water. These were doubtless for burial, and of less age than the more 

 elaborate works in the interior of the country. 



Below the town and fort, towards the mouth of the Wisconsin, are similar tumuli, 

 equally subject to overflow ; and on the high bluffs south of that river are some 

 look-out stations or mounds. 



Advantage is taken of these elevations for the foundations of the better class of 

 dwelling-houses, above the reach of high water ; being, perhaps, the only instance 

 in which the ancient works are rendered useful to the present inhabitants. In 

 general it is deemed necessary to remove them as incumbrances, rather than to 

 preserve them as matters of convenience. 



Some traces of a ditch and embankment observed on the island, evidently of a 

 military charactei', proved, on inquiry, to be the remains of the original American 

 fort, that was taken by the British in the war of 1812. 



It is quite clear that this interesting place has been a favorite one with all the 

 different tribes or races of inhabitants, from the days of the first mound-builders to 

 the present time ; and the construction of a railroad (soon to be completed) con- 

 necting this point with Lake Michigan at Milwaukee, will doubtless render it one 

 of the greatest importance. 



Proceeding up the Wisconsin, the first locality requiring notice is called by the 

 French the Petit Cap au Ores ; which was visited by Messrs. Keating, Say, and 

 Seymour, of Long's exploring party, and of which the following account is given : 

 "They found the bluff which borders on the Wisconsin, about four miles above its 

 mouth, covered with mounds, parapets, &c. ; but no plan or system could be 

 observed among them, neither could they trace any such thing as a regular inclo- 

 sure. Among these works, they saw an embankment about eighty-five yards long, 

 divided towards its middle by a sort of gateway about four yards wide. This 

 parapet was elevated from three to four feet ; it stood very near to the edge of the 

 bluff, as did also almost all the other embankments which they saw. No con- 

 nection whatever was observed between the parapets and the mounds, except in 

 one case, where a parapet was cut off by a sort of gateway, and a mound placed in 

 front of it. In one instance the works, or parapet, seemed to form a cross, of which 

 three parts could be distinctly traced ; but these were short : this was upon a pro- 

 jecting point of the highland. The mounds which the party observed, were 

 scattered without any apparent symmetry over the whole of the ridge of highland 

 which borders upon the river. They were very numerous, and generally from six 

 to eight feet high, and from eight to twelve in diameter. In one case a number of 

 them, amounting perhaps to twelve or fifteen, were seen all arranged in one line, 

 parallel to the edge of the bluff, but at some distance from it." 



The very numerous and highly interesting remains found on the banks of the 

 Wisconsin at Muscoda, and in its vicinity, are very fully described and delineated 

 by Mr. Stephen Taylor, to whose paper in Silliman's Journal (XLIV, 22), and in 

 the abstract of it in the Smithsonian Contributions (I, 128-133, Plates xlii, xliii, 

 xliv), the reader is referred. Not having visited this locality, I have nothing to 

 add to the ample details given by Mr. Taylor. 



