18 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
added much in writing on the antiquities of Wisconsin in 1855. 
Col. Whittlesey published his account of ancient mining on 
Lake Superior in 1863, yet Dr Charles Rau said, in his paper 
entitled Ancient aboriginal trade in North America: “The Smith- 
sonian institution has been receiving for years Indian antiqui- 
ties from ail parts of North America, yet possessed in 1870 
only seven copper objects: namely, three spearheads, two small- 
rods, a semilunar knife with convex cutting edge, and an ax 
of good shape.”—Rau. Aborig. p. 94. There are more there now, 
and yet but few compared with some private collections. : 
The Lake Superior copper sometimes contains small masses 
of native silver. Where this is present the source of the supply 
may be known but its absence is no test. Most articles show 
raised spots and lines, retaining a hammered appearance. The 
softer metal between is corroded. The stone hammers and rude 
wooden tools of the early miners are yet found where they 
worked centuries ago. Col. Whittlesey thought 500 years had 
passed since that time; Mr Lapham allowed a much more recent 
period. It will be seen that the Jesuit Relations speak of work 
done there in the latter half of the 17th century. While it is 
probable that many implements were made in adjacent dis- 
tricts, it is perfectly clear that masses of metal were carried 
away to be cut up and wrought elsewhere. Such blocks have 
been found and the Jesuits mention those that they had seen 
or owned. 
In common with others the writer at first could hardly resist 
the belief that the early copper articles brought to him were 
cast in a rude matrix of sand. Much of the surface appears 
like a rough casting, and the longitudinal raised lines could be 
attributed to cracks in the mold. Dr Hoy thought the metal was 
subjected to a great pressure in a matrix of stone. The prev- 
alent opinion now is that all our implements of this kind were 
hammered into shape. One surface is usually flat but the re- — 
verse quite commonly has a central and longitudinal ridge. 
On this surface the workman hammered along one,side and 
then changed ends to hammer the other, the slightly oblique 
