88 ABORIGINAL MONUMENTS OF NEW YORK. 



structed of stones outwardly, and filled in with clay, shells, gravel, &c., from the 

 bed of the river and shores of the bay. The stones of which the walls were con- 

 structed were of no great size, and such as men in a savage state would be 

 supposed to use for such a purpose. They were placed together with much order 

 and regularity, and when of their primitive height, the walls must have been very 

 strong — at least, sufficiently strong for all the purposes of defence against an 

 enemy to whom the use of fire-arms was unknown. 



" The site of the fortification is nearly level, descending a little from the walls 

 to the bank of the river. West, for the distance of nearly half a mile, the surface 

 is quite even. In front or east, on the opposite side of the river, are high banks, 

 upon which at that time stood a thick growth of wood. When the first settlers 

 discovered the fort, there were oak trees of large size standing within the walls. 

 Within the enclosure, and in the mound and vicinity, were found innumerable 

 Indian ornaments, such as crystals cut into the rude shapes of diamonds, squares, 

 pyramids, &c., with ornamental pipes of stone and clay, — coarse pottery orna- 

 mented with various figures, — arrow-heads, hatchets of stone, and other common 

 implements of peace and war. 



" The small island in the bay appears to have been a burial-place, from the 

 great quantity of bones and other remains disclosed by the plough, when settle- 

 rnents were commenced by the whites. Before the island was cultivated, there 

 were several large excavations, resembling cellars or walls discovered, for what 

 purpose constructed or used, can of course only be conjectured. There is a 

 tradition that the Penacooks, at the time of their destruction by the Maquaas, had 

 three hundred birch canoes in Little Bay. 



" After writing thus far, I addressed a note to the Hon. James Clark, of Franklin, 

 New Hampshire, with inquiries as to the present state of these ruins. Mr. Clark 

 was kind enough at once to make a special visit to the site of the ruins, in com- 

 pany with Mr. Bamford, son of one of the first settlers. The following is an 

 extract from his reply : 



" ' The remains of the walls are in part plainly to be traced ; but the ground since 

 our former examination has been several years ploughed and cultivated, so as to 

 now give a very indistinct view of what they were at our previous visit, when the 

 foundation of the whole could be distinctly traced. No mounds or passage-ways 

 can now be traced. A canal to convey water to a saw and grist mill occupies the 

 place of the mound mai'ked m. The stones used in these walls were obtained on the 

 ground, and were of such size as one man could lift ; they were laid as well as our 

 good walls for fences in the north, and very regular ; they were about three feet in 

 thickness and breast high when first discovered. The stones have been used to 

 fill in the dam now adjoining. There were no embankments in the interior. The 

 distance between the outer and inner wall was about sixty feet ; the distance from 

 the north to the south wall was about 250 feet, and from the west wall to the river 

 about 220 feet. There were two other walls extending south to Little Bay. The 

 general elevation of the ground was about ten feet above, and gently sloping to the 

 river bank, which is about five feet above the water of the river. The distance 

 between Great Bay and Little Bay is about 160 rods, with a gradual fail of fifteen 



