THE USE OF COPPER. 201 



are generally considered to belong to the metallic age ; but 

 as far as America is concerned, we have not yet any evidence 

 as to the relative antiquity of the perforated and imperforate 

 types. 



At the time of the discovery of America, iron was abso- 

 lutely unknown to the natives, with the exception, perhaps, 

 of a tribe near the mouth of the La Plata, who had arrows 

 tipped with this metal, which they are supposed to have ob- 

 tained from masses of native iron. The powerful nations of 

 Central America were, however, in the age of Bronze, while 

 the North Americans were in a condition of which we find 

 in Europe but scanty traces namely, in an age of Copper. 

 Silver is the only other metal which has been found in the 

 ancient tumuli, and that but in very small quantities. It 

 occurs sparingly in a native form with the copper of Lake 

 Superior, whence, in all probability, it was derived. It does 

 not appear to have been ever smelted. From the large quan- 

 tity of galena which is found in the mounds, Messrs. Squier 

 and Davis are disposed to think that lead must have been 

 used to a certain extent by the North American tribes : the 

 metal itself, however, has not, I believe, yet been found. 



Copper, on the other hand, occurs frequently in the tu- 

 muli, both wrought and unwrought. The axes have a 

 striking resemblance to those 'simple axes of Europe, which 

 contain the minimum quantity of tin ; and some of the 

 Mexican -paintings give us interesting evidence as to the 

 manner in which they were handled and used. These, how- 

 ever, were of bronze, and had, therefore, been fused; but 

 the Indian axes, which are of pure copper, appear in all 

 cases to have been worked in a cold state, which is the more 

 remarkable, because, as Messrs. Squier and Davis have well 

 observed, " the fires upon the altar were sufficiently intense to 

 melt down the copper implements and ornaments. deposited 

 upon them. The hint thus afforded does not seem to have 



