﻿105. 
  

  

  west 
  of 
  the 
  bridge 
  over 
  the 
  Racket 
  river, 
  at 
  a 
  place 
  called 
  Racket 
  River 
  

   P. 
  0. 
  It 
  is 
  on 
  a 
  considerable 
  eminence, 
  about 
  half 
  way 
  between 
  the 
  

   Racket 
  and 
  Grasse 
  rivers, 
  and 
  three 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  

   The 
  hill 
  may 
  be 
  fifty 
  feet 
  higher 
  than 
  either 
  rjver 
  ; 
  the 
  ancient 
  work 
  is 
  

   on 
  the 
  southern 
  declivity 
  of 
  the 
  hill, 
  near 
  the 
  top, 
  and 
  the 
  outer 
  ditch 
  

   may-enclose 
  perhaps 
  an 
  acre. 
  It 
  is 
  nearly 
  square, 
  with 
  the 
  corners 
  

   projecting 
  beyond 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  sides 
  ; 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  may 
  perhaps 
  be 
  

   inferred 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  defensive 
  work, 
  and 
  belonging 
  to 
  a 
  different 
  period 
  

   from 
  the 
  circular 
  works 
  above 
  described. 
  The 
  bank 
  when 
  first 
  dis- 
  

   covered, 
  was 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  ditch 
  about 
  three 
  feet 
  wide, 
  and 
  between 
  

   one 
  and 
  two 
  feet 
  deep. 
  In 
  the 
  ditch 
  were 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  old 
  pine 
  trees, 
  

   some 
  of 
  which 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  at 
  least 
  five 
  hundred 
  years 
  old. 
  With- 
  

   in 
  the 
  enclosure 
  were 
  two 
  elevations, 
  about 
  fifteen 
  feet 
  square, 
  and 
  two 
  

   feet 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  surrounding 
  ground. 
  The 
  location 
  com- 
  

   mands 
  a 
  prospect 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  around, 
  in 
  every 
  direction, 
  to 
  a 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  distance. 
  

  

  In 
  Potsdam, 
  St. 
  Lawrence 
  county, 
  there 
  existed, 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  settle- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  a 
  work 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  one 
  last 
  described, 
  but 
  

   which 
  is 
  now 
  nearly 
  obliterated 
  by 
  the 
  plough. 
  It 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  

   of 
  Racket 
  river, 
  about 
  half 
  way 
  from 
  Potsdam 
  village 
  to 
  Norfolk. 
  Like 
  

   the 
  other, 
  it 
  was 
  situated 
  near 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  an 
  elevation, 
  conspicuous 
  from 
  

   all 
  the 
  surrounding 
  country. 
  Like 
  it, 
  also, 
  it 
  was 
  quadrilateral; 
  its 
  

   size 
  was 
  nearly 
  the 
  same, 
  and 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  both 
  furnishes 
  numerous 
  

   remains 
  of 
  rude 
  pottery, 
  stone 
  axes, 
  flint 
  arrows, 
  and 
  various 
  ornaments 
  

   wrought 
  in 
  steatite. 
  

  

  The 
  location 
  in 
  Potsdam 
  is 
  about 
  eighteen 
  miles 
  distant 
  to 
  the 
  south- 
  

   west, 
  from 
  that 
  in 
  Massena, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  but 
  that 
  one 
  might 
  

   be 
  seen 
  from 
  the 
  other, 
  if 
  the 
  intervening 
  timber 
  was 
  cut 
  away. 
  

  

  The 
  foregoing 
  are 
  the 
  only 
  remains 
  of 
  ancient 
  art 
  which 
  the 
  writer 
  

   has 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  learn 
  of 
  in 
  St. 
  Lawrence 
  county, 
  after 
  making 
  the 
  

   most 
  diligent 
  inquiries. 
  In 
  Jefferson 
  county 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  others, 
  in 
  

   the 
  towns 
  of 
  Adams, 
  Ellisburgh, 
  &c, 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  hoped 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  

   account 
  will 
  hereafter 
  be 
  given. 
  

  

  