3*6 
TRAVELS IN 
from the Weft and poiTefTed themfelves of the coun- 
try, after vanquifhing the nations of red men who* 
then inhabited it, who themfelves found thefe mounts 
when they took poffeffion of the country, the former 
poiTeflbrs delivering the fame ftory concerning 
them : perhaps they were defigned and appropriated 
, by the people who conftru&ed them, to fome reli- 
gious purpofe, as great altars and temples fimilar to 
the high places and facred groves anciently amongfl 
the Canaanites and other nations of Paleftine and 
Judea. 
The rotunda is conftrucled after the following 
manner: they firft fix in the ground a circular 
range of pofts or trunks of trees, about fix feet 
high, at equal diftances, which are notched at top, 
to receive into them from one to another, a range 
of beams or wall plates ; within this is another cir- 
cular order of very large and ftrong pillars, above 
twelve feet high, notched in like manner at top, to 
receive another range of wall plates ; and within 
this is yet another or third range of ftronger and 
higher pillars, but fewer in number, and (landing 
at a greater diftance from each other ; and laftiy ? 
in the centre ftands a very ftrong pillar, which forms 
the pinnacle of the building, and to which the raf- 
ters centre at top ; thefe rafters are ftrengthened 
and bound together by crofs beams and laths, which 
fuftain the roof or covering, which is a layer of 
bark neatly placed, and tight enough to exclude 
the rainj and fometimes they caft a thin fuperficies 
of earth over all. There is but one large door, 
which ferves at the fame time to admit light from 
without and the fmoak to efeape when a fire is 
kindled ; but as there is but a final 1 fire kept, fuf- 
ficient to give light at night, and that fed with dry 
fmall 
