i86 APPENDIX. 



metal was obtained. There are other circumstances, still more conclusive, and 

 which, taken in connection with the traces of ancient mining in the mineral region, 

 leave no room to doubt that the race of the mounds obtained their supplies of copper 

 fi-om that direction. It is well known that while some of the Lake Superior copper 

 is almost perfectly pure, a part is alloyed with silver in various proportions, and 

 some is found having crystals of silver attached to it, — a peculiar niechanico-chemical 

 cornbmation, known to exist nowhere except in this region. This characteristic 

 combination has been observed in some of the specimens, both worked and 

 unworked, found in the mounds, and enables us to identify fully their primitive 

 locality. The great industry and skill which the mound-builders displayed in the 

 numerous and often gigantic monuments which they have left us at the West, 

 warrant us in ascribing the ancient excavations, etc., in the mineral region to 

 them. The Indian hunter is proverbially averse to labor ; and we have no instance 

 of the Indians undertaking works of this extent. Still, it cannot be doubted that 

 they also obtained copper from this region. Indeed, we have direct evidence of 

 the fact ; but it is probable that they procured it only in small quantities, when it 

 was found exposed at the surface, or on the banks of streams. Alexander Henry, 

 who penetrated to Lake Superior at the period of the second French war, assures 

 us that the Indians obtained copper here, which they " made into bracelets, 

 spoons," etc. — (Travels, p. 195.) As we have seen, the early explorers on the 

 coasts of New England, New York, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Florida, among 

 whom we may mention Hudson, Verrazano, Raleigh, Heriot, llibaude, De Soto, all 

 concur in saying that the Indians had copper in small quantities among them, 

 which they worked into pipes and ornaments. De Soto found copper hatchets 

 among some of the tribes along the Gulf, which they professed to have obtained 

 from " a province called Chisca, far toward the North." 



All the copper found in the mounds appears to have been worked in a cold state ; 

 and although the axes and other instruments appear to be harder than the copper 

 of commerce, they have been found, upon analysis, to be destitute of alloy. The 

 superior hardness which they possess over the unworked metal, is doubtless due 

 to the hammering to which they have been subjected. Some of the sculptures in 

 porphyry, and other hard stones found in the mounds, exhibit traces of having been 

 cut ; but as they now turn the edge of the best tempered knife, we are at a loss to 

 conjecture how they were so elaborately and delicately worked. The lack of 

 cutting implements, among most rude people, is partially met by various contriv- 

 ances, the most common of which is attrition, or rubbing or grinding on hard 

 stones. It was thus the stone axes, etc., of the early Indians were slowly and 

 laboriously brought into shape. It however needs but a single glance at the mound 

 sculptures to convince the observer that such rude means are wholly inadequate to 

 the production of works possessing so much delicacy of execution. 



The Mexicans and Peruvians were wholly unacquainted with the use of iron ; and 

 their carvings, etc., were all wrought with copper tools. They, however, contrived 

 to harden them with an alloy of from three to seven per cent, of tin. I have some of 

 their implements in my possession, which answer a very good cutting purpose. It 

 nevertheless seems mcomprehensible how their extensive works in granite, por- 



