230 CERTAIN SAND MOUNDS OF 



ground to a period, say thirty years back, refer to the union of lead with copper 

 used for the production of sheet copper and wire. Moreover, various experts con- 

 sulted by us, consider that, while the introduction of lead was not invariable, its 

 absence from any considerable number of specimens is good negative evidence 

 against a European origin in early times. Even at the present day, many analyses 

 of copper show the presence of lead, though sheet copper from certain sections or 

 where the material has been obtained by electrolytic deposit, may give no evidence 

 of it. But such recent copper, of course, is not germane to our subject. 



Lead has never been discovered in copper from the mounds nor is it ever present 

 in native copper. 



We shall now examine results of partial analyses made for us, bearing strongly 

 upon this point. 



A number of fragments of sheet copper from various parts of Mt. Royal, sub- 

 mitted to Booth, Garrett and Blair, furnished the following result : — 



"Silver .... 00315 per cent. 



Gold ..... None. 

 Lead .... None. 



" The remainder is chiefly red oxide of copper. 



"Assuming that all the copper is in the form of red oxide, the percentage of 

 silver would be 0372 in the copper in the melted state." 



Several fragments of thin sheet copper from the mound west of Duval's, 

 Lake County, Florida, were submitted to Dr. Ledoux with a view to determination 

 as to lead. The result was negative. 



General Gates P. Thruston has kindly forwarded us several small fragments 

 of sheet copper from the stone graves of Tennessee, in 15,000 of which, we are in- 

 formed, no European object has ever been brought to light. Copper is far from 

 abundant in these graves, and we are especially indebted to General Thruston for 

 the sacrifice of his specimens. Unfortunately, the thin sheet copper was com- 

 pletely oxidized ; lead could not be detected by analysis. 



Professor Putnam, for whose deep interest in this investigation we must again 

 express our gratitude, has placed at our disposal " a fragment of a copper breast- 

 plate from a Tennessee stone grave." A partial analysis showed the presence of 

 silver, the absence of lead. 



We are indebted to Professor Putnam also for a number of specimens of cop- 

 per from Ohio, which are reported upon by Booth, Garrett and Blair as follows : — 



" B. Piece broken from nugget of copper found with several others in a 

 mound in Ohio : " — 



"Silver, . . . . Present. 



Lead .... None." 



" C. Fragment of a copper ornament from a mound in Ohio : " — 



"Silver .... Present. 



Lead .... None." 



