50 ABORIGINAL MONUMENTS OF NEW YORK. 



antique forests, preceding the growth of beech and maple. They were in such a 

 state of soundness as to be employed for timber by the early settlers."* 



From all that remains of this work, it is impossible to conjecture for what pur- 

 poses it was constructed. Indeed, it bears so few evidences of design, that we are 

 led to distrust its artificial origin ; a distrust which is strengthened by the circum- 

 stance, that in a number of instances, elevations and depressions bearing some 

 degree of regularity, but resulting from fissures in a rock substratum or other natu- 

 ral causes, have been very generally mistaken for works of art. The fact that the 

 trench in this instance has a course so nearly parallel with the edge of the ravine, 

 is also a suspicious circumstance. The spot was not visited by the author ; but he 

 is authorized in saying that Prof Dewey, who gave the first and most complete 

 account of the supposed work, is now inclined to the opinion that it may be the 

 result of natural causes. 



On what is called the " Knowlton Farm," about one mile south of the town of 

 Batavia, is a small natural elevation which was used as a burial-place by the 

 Indians. It has been mistaken for a mound. Various relics have been discovered 

 in ploughing over it. 



ORLEANS COUNTY. 



It is not known that many ancient remains occur in this county. There is, how- 

 ever, an interesting work in Shelby township, one and a half miles west of Shelby 

 Centre. The following account of it was communicated by Dr. S. M. Burroughs, 

 of Medina, to O. Turner, Esq., of Buffalo, by whom it was presented to the author. 



" It consists of a ditch and embankment, enclosing, in a form nearly circular, 

 about three acres of ground. The ditch is still well defined and several feet in 

 depth. Adjoining this fortification on the south is a swamp, about one mile in 

 width by two in length ; which was once, if not a lake, an impassable morass. 

 There is a passage-way through the lines of the entrenchment towards the swamp , 

 and this is the sole gateway discoverable. Large quantities of ^mall stones, of a 

 size to be thrown with the hand, are accumulated in piles within and near the 

 work. Here, too, are many arrow-heads of flint (silex), stone axes, and fragments 

 of pottery, exhibiting ornaments in relief Human skeletons almost entire have 

 been exhumed here. Half a mile west of the fort on a sand-hill, an immense num- 

 ber of skeletons have been found in a very perfect state. Many seem to have been 

 deposited in the same grave. As some of the skulls appear to have been broken by 

 clubs or tomahawks, is it not probable that this was the site of some great battle ?" 



* Schoolcraft's Notes on the Iroquois, p. 203. 



