686 Proceedings of Scientific Socteties. fAugust, 
The copper “axes,” so called (and very inappropriately, too), 
in no instances show any indications of having been put to any 
use*as tools, or even of having had handles attached. They were 
doubtless valued and kept as badges of rank or wealth, and held 
in high esteem. 
Those people undoubtedly smoked tobacco, not, however, as a 
recreation or habitually for pleasure, but as a kind of ceremonial 
observance. The pipes are often very elaborately and beautifully 
carved out of a great variety of kinds of stone, generally of a 
rather soft character, and were apparently held in very high 
estimation, perhaps almost sacred. They are all in the Upper 
Mississippi Valley, of the same general type, having the flat, 
curved base, which is perforated to serve as a stem and not at all 
adapted to retain in the mouth for smoking continuously ; which 
fact, wiih the smallness of the bowl itself, would indicate that it 
was to be used by passing from one to another of the persons 
assembled. 
They represent a great variety of animal forms, some difficult 
to determine, but among themare two, well and distinctly represent- 
ing the elephant, though differing somewhat from each other in 
form and position. These plainly and unmistakably show that 
the sculptors were acquainted with the elephants (the mammoth 
or mastodon), of which, though long extinct, numerous remains 
are found throughout this country. 
Strangest of all, and most contrary to the opinion of archzol- 
ogists hitherto, it now appears that the mound-builders had a 
written language. Whence derived, or what its origin is matter 
of the merest conjecture. What its affinities, or whether any con- 
nection with other written languages, ancient or modern, no one 
has as yet been able to determine. 
The inscribed tablets in our museum, the only ones of much 
significance or importance perhaps, which have as yet been dis- 
covered in the mounds, have attracted much attention both in this 
country and in Europe, and by all eminent and well informed 
archeologists, are considered of the highest importance. They 
are certain to stimulate research, which will doubtless lead to 
further discoveries, until it may well be hoped that the key to the 
language may ultimately be discovered, and something of a history 
of this ancient people may be made out as written by themselves. 
Whether the language was understood by all, or only by a more 
learned few, or whether these tablets were heirlooms and cherished 
rather significant circumstance, perhaps, is the fact that in the 
same mound with the two tablets first found, were the bones yar 
u 
pet: 
