NORTH AMERICA, 323 
plain, very near the bank of the river, now twenty 
or thirty yards from it. They confifl of conical 
mounts of earth and four fquare terraces, &c. The 
great mount is in the form of a cone, about forty or 
fifty feet high, and the circumference of its bafe two 
or three hundred yards, entirely compofed of the 
loamy rich earth of the low grounds : the top or 
apex is flat a fpiral path or track leading from the 
ground up to the top is (till viable, where now grows 
a large, beautiful fpreading Red Cedar (Jimiperus 
Americana) : there appear four niches, excavated 
out of the fides of this hill, at different heights 
from the bafe, fronting the four cardinal points ; 
thefe nitches or cen.tr y boxes are entered into from 
the winding path, and feem to have been meant for 
relling places or look-outs. The circumjacent level 
grounds are cleared and planted with Indian Corn 
at prefent ; and I think the proprietor of thefe lands, 
who accompanied us to this place, faid that the 
mount itfelf yielded above one hundred bufnels in 
one feafon : the land hereabouts is indeed exceed- 
ing fertile and productive. 
It is altogether unknown to us, what could have 
induced the Indians to raife fuch a heap of earth in 
this place, the ground for a great fpace around be- 
ing fubjecl: to inundations, at leaft once a year, 
from which circumftance we may conclude they 
had no town or fettled habitations here. Some ima- 
gine thefe tumuli were conftrucled for look-o^t 
towers. It is reafjnable to fuppcfe, however, that 
they were to ferve fome important purpofe in thofe 
days, as they were public works, and would have 
required the united labour and attenticn of a whole 
nation, circumftanced as they were, to 4iave con- 
ftrucled one of them aimed in an age. There are 
Y «2 fever^l 
