THE CANADIAN JOURNAL. 



NEW SERIES. 



No. IV.— JULY, 1856 



DISCOVERY OP COPPER AND OTHER INDIAN RELICS, 

 NEAR BROCKVILLE. 



BT THOMAS BEYNOLDS, M. D. 



Head before the Canadian Institute, February 16th, 1856. 



Attention having been recently called to the discovery of ancient 

 copper relics, and other traces of primitive aboriginal arts, on the 

 shores of Lake Superior,* it may not be uninteresting to compare 

 with such remains, others of the same class discovered far to the east- 

 ward of the regions which supply the metal from which such weapons 

 and implements appear to have been fabricated. 



In excavating the St. Lawrence Canal, at Les Galops Rapids, in 

 the year 1817, a curious collection of Indian relics was brought to 

 light, at one of the beautifully picturesque points on the River St. 

 Lawrence, at the head of the first rapid, or cascade, met with in des- 

 cending that river. Thus situated at a point where the free naviga- 

 tion of the upper part of the river is first interrupted, this place i» 

 likely to have been frequently visited in former times, as a spot where 

 both Indians and voyageurs would be tempted to rest, or camp for 

 the night, before venturing their canoes upon the rapids ; and this 

 may perhaps have had to do with the deposition of the relics, discover- 

 ed in the process of excavating the Canal destined to overcome the 

 impediments which nature had there opposed to the free navigation 

 of the noble river. 



* Ante, p. 225. 



