Fort Ancient. 89 



no protection. So it would, if only placed on the plain, but the 

 bank here is placed above ravines which have a slope in places of 

 thirty-five to forty-five degrees, and which are one hundred to one 

 hundred and fifty feet deep. We tried the experiment of charging 

 up out of these ravines to the fort walls above, and in places it was 

 so steep that we were unable to ascend except on all-fours; and 

 when those who made the charge reached the top, they were so 

 utterly exhausted that a slight push was sufficient to send them rolling 

 down the steep declivity. 



In the broad fertile bottom below Fort Ancient, there was once 

 a large camp of aborigines, nearly a mile in extent, and that for so 

 long ago that five feet of rich level soil has accumulated over the 

 spot. By digging in many places in the bottom near the river 

 bank, we find at the depth mentioned, ashes, charcoal, burned ani- 

 mal bones and pottery fragments, such as would result from long 

 continued cooking and living in one place. Another deposit of 

 this nature is found at a depth of two feet, which shows us that the 

 bottom was occupied at two different periods. On the surface of 

 the ground there have been found a number of bones, pottery 

 fragments, etc., showing that since the Indians left the region there 

 has but little soil accumulated, and that perhaps several hundred 

 years elapsed between the date of the first and second villages. 



The river frequently overflows this bottom, and sometimes 

 deposits earth and frequently washes it away, so that it is impossi- 

 ble for us to say with certainty how old these village sites are. 

 As there is nothing much on the surface, I come to the conclusion 

 that the bones found there are just those which the plow has dis- 

 turbed, and belong to the village at the foot of the level. In olden 

 times the river would not overflow its banks as it does now; at 

 least, not so extensively. Then the timber was not cut off the land, 

 and in case of a heavy ram the water w r ould not rapidly run down 

 the little creeks and rivulets into the river as it does now. It 

 would be obstructed in its passage by fallen trees and logs, and the 

 many swamps that then existed all over our river bottoms would 

 retain much of the water. The timber was much more heavy on 

 the river banks then than now, and the roots running down would 

 check and hold much of the drift, thus forming dams. Old settlers 

 have told me that the Miami tributaries passed off a much mere 

 even stage of water when the country was first opened than now. 

 Tne water is now high in the spring and low in the summer: some 



