TRAVELS Ift 
from the Weft and pofTefifedthemfelves of the coun- 
try, after vanquifhing the nations of red men who 
then inhabited it, who the mfe Ives found thefe mounts 
when they took pofteftion of the country, the former 
poffeffors delivering the fame ftory concerning 
them : perhaps they were defigned and apropri- 
ated by the people who conftrubted them, to fome 
religious purpofe, as great altars and temples fimi- 
!ar to the high places and facred groves anciently 
amongft the Canaanites and other nations of Pale- 
ftine and Judea* 
The rotunda is conftrufled after the fallowing 
manner: they fifft 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 Handing 
at a greater diftance from each other ; and laftly, 
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 e)r s covering, which is a layer of 
bark neatly placed, and tight enough to exclude 
the rain, 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 efcape when a fire is 
kindled ; but as there is but a fmall fire kept, fuf- 
ficient to give light at night, and that fed with dry 
