^ORTH AMERICA® 4^5 
In the midfi of a large oblong fqnare adjoin- 
ing this town (which was furronnded with a low 
bank or terrace) is (landing a high pillar, round 
like a pin or needle ; it is about forty feet in 
height, and between two and three feet in dia- 
meter at the earth, gradually tapering upwards 
to a point; it is one piece of pine wood, and 
arifes from the centre of a low, circular, artificial 
hill, but it leans a little to one fide. I inquired 
of the Indians and traders what it was defiigmed 
O 
for, who anfwered they knew not : the Indians 
laid that their anceftors found it in the fame 
fituation, when they drift arrived and poileffed 
the country, adding, that the red men or Indians., 
then the p o Hello rs, whom they vanquifhed, were 
as ignorant as themfelves concerning it, laying 
that their anceftors likewife found it (landing fo. 
This monument, (ample as it is, may be worthy 
the obfervations of a traveller, fmce it naturally 
excites at lead the following queries : for what 
purpofe was it defigned ? its great antiquity and 
incorruptibility— what method or machines they 
employed to bring it to the fpot, and how they 
raifed it ere<ft ? There is no tree or fpecies of the 
pine, whofe wood, i. e« fo large a portion of the 
trunk, is fuppofed to be incorruptible, expofed 
in the open air to all weathers, but the long- 
leaved Pine (Pirn paluftris), and there is none 
growing within twelve or fifteen miles of this 
place, that tree being naturally produced only 
on the high, dry, barren ridges, where there is 
a fandy foil and grally wet favannas. A great 
number of men uniting their ftrength, probably 
carried it to the place on handfpikes, or fome 
fuch contrivance. 
£)n the Sabbath day before I fet off from this 
G g 4 place* 
