Rocky Mountains. 63 



after having been separated from the flesh, and from each 

 other, according to the custom of some tribes of Indians at 

 the present day. 



In the first grave opened by Mr, Say, were found the frag- 

 ments of an earthen pot, and the bones of an infantine skull; 

 the second contained what appeared to be the remains of a 

 middle aged man of the ordinary stature, laid at full length; 

 the bones much confused and broken. An inhabitant resid- 

 ing here informed them, that many similar graves had been 

 found along the summits of most of the neighbouring hills. 

 In one of these he had found two pieces of earthen ware, one 

 having nearly the form of a porter bottle ; the other with a wide 

 mouth; but this grave contained no bones. After spending a 

 night at this place, they crossed the river to the town of Lil- 

 liput, (one of the projected towns here has received this 

 name) the place so often mentioned as the locality of the 

 graves of a pigmy race. Appearances here are in general 

 similar to those already described. One head, that had been 

 dug up, was that of an old person, in whom the teeth had 

 been loose, and the alveolge obliterated, leaving the sharp edge 

 of the jawbone. From this the neighbouring settlers had 

 inferred the existence of a race of men without teeth, having 

 their jaws like those of the turtle. Having satisfied them- 

 selves that all the bones found here were those of men of the 

 common size, Mr. Say and Mr. Peale " sold their skiff, 

 shouldered their guns, bones, spade, &c. and bent their weary 

 steps towards St. Louis, (distant 16 miles) where they arrived 

 at eleven o'clock P. M., having had ample time by the way 

 to indulge sundry reflections on that quality of the mind, 

 either imbibed in the nursery or generated by evil commu- 

 nications, which incites to the love of the marvellous, and 

 by hyperbole, casts the veil of falsehood over the charming 

 features of simple nature." 



These graves evidently contain the relics of a more mo- 

 dern people than those who erected the mounds. 



