THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER, FLORIDA. 



231 



" D. Fragment of a copper plate (breast-ornament) from a mound in Ohio:" — 



" Silver 

 Lead 



Present. 



None." 



" E. Fragment of a copper ear-ornament from a mound in Ohio:"- 



" Copper 

 Silver 

 Lead . 



99*77 per cent. 



Present. 



None." 



" F. Fragment of copper ear-ornament from mound in Ohio:" — 



" Silver 

 Lead 



Large quantity. 

 None." 



G. Ear-ornament of copper covered with meteoric iron, from mound in 



Ohio:"- 



" Gold 



None. 



Lead 



None. 



Silver 



Traces. 



Nickel . 



Considerable amount 



Iron 



Large amount. 



Copper 



Large amount. 



" This sample being oxidized through and through, no attempt was made to 

 separate the two layers. The nickel, of course, was present in the iron." 



In contrasting the analyses of post-Columbian copper with those of the copper 

 from the mounds we note : (1) The greater percentage of pure copper in the mound 

 specimens. (2) That certain specimens of copper from the mounds have as impurities 

 silver and iron only, while the elements present in European copper are never so 

 restricted in number. (3) That in no case do the impurities present in a specimen 

 of mound copper equal the extended list found in any sample of the early copper 

 of Europe. (4) That when antimony or arsenic is present in mound copper the 

 quantity is minute and at least nineteen and forty-five times less respectively than 

 that in the early post-Columbian copper. (5) The presence of lead in European 

 copper and its invariable absence from the copper of the mounds. (6) That it is 

 evident that we need not look to Europe as a source of supply of the copper from 

 the mounds. 



Probable Source of Supply of the Copper of the Mounds. 



The reader who has carefully followed the course of this inquiry to the present 

 point has doubtless arrived at the conclusion that native copper alone possesses all 

 the characteristics met with in the copper of the mounds, and we may add that no 

 evidence as to aboriginal smelting within the limits of the United States has yet 

 been adduced. 



Before proceeding to consider the probable source of supply of mound copper, 

 it may be well to say a few words as to native copper in general. 



29 JOURN. A. N. S. PHILA., VOL. X. 



