Ixxviii 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
found these petrified concretions of shells universal all over Kentucky, where- 
evcr I have been. The rocks look as if one had collected heaps of broken 
shells, and wrought them up among clay, then hardened it into stone. These 
rocks lie universally in horizontal strata. A farmer in the neighborhood of 
Washington assured me, that from seven acres he reaped at once eight thousand 
weight of excellent hemp, fit for market. 
"Amidst very tempestuous weather, I reached the town of Cincinnati, which, 
does honor to the name of the old Roman, and is the neatest and handsomest 
situated place I have seen since I left I'hiladelphia. You must know that 
during an unknown series of ages, the river Ohio has gradually sunk several 
hundred feet below its former bed, and has left on both sides, occasionally, 
what are called the first or nearest, and the second or next, high bank, the 
latter of which is never overflowed. 
" The town of Cincinnati occupies two beautiful plains, one on the first, and 
the other on the second bank, and contains upwards of five hundred houses, 
the greater proportion of which are of brick. One block house is all that 
remains of Fort Washington. The river Licking comes in from the opposite 
shore, where the town of Newport, of foi'ty or fifty houses, and a large arsenal 
and barracks are lately erected. Here I met with Judge Turner, a man of 
extraordinary talents, well known to the literati of Philadelpliia. He exerted 
hini.self in my behalf with all the ardor of an old friend. A large Indian 
mound in the vicinity of this tuwn has been lately opened by Doctor Drake, 
who showed nie the collection of curiosities which he had Ibund in that and 
others. In the centre of this mound he also found a large fragment of earthen 
ware, such as I found at the Big Grave, which is a pretty strong proof that 
these works had been erected by a people, if not the same, differing little 
from the present race of Indians, whuse I'ragments of earthen ware, dug up 
about their late towns, correspond exactly with these. Twenty miles below 
this I passed the mouth of the Great Miami, which rushes in from the north, 
and is a hirge and stately river, preserving its pure waters uncontaminated for 
UKiny miles with those of the Ohio, each keeping their respective sides of the 
channel. I rambled up the banks of this river for four or five miles, and in 
my return shot a turkey. I also saw five or six deer in a drove, but they were 
too liglit-lieeled for me. 
" In the afternoon of the 15th I entered Big-Bone Creek, which being pass- 
able only abiiut a quarter of a mile, I secured my boat, and left my baggage 
under the care of a decent family near, and set out on foot five miles through 
the woods for the Big-Bone Lick, that great antediluvian rendezvous of the 
American elephants. This place, which lies "far in the windings of a shel- 
tered vale," aflforded me a fund of amusement in shooting ducks and paroquets 
(of which last I skinned twelve, and brought off two slightly wounded), and 
in examining the ancient buffalo roads to this great licking-place. Mr. 
Colquhoun, the proprietor, was not at home, but his agent and manager enter- 
tained me as well as he was able, and was much amused with my enthusiasm. 
This place is a low valley, everywhere surrounded by high hills; in the centre, 
by the side of the creek, is a quagmire of near an acre, from which, and 
another smaller one below, the chief part of these large bones have been taken; at 
