kORTH AMERICA. $ 2 $ 
plain, very near the bank of the river* now twenty 
or thirty yards from it. They confift 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 bale 
two or three hundred yards, entirely compofed of 
the loamy rich earth of the low grounds : the top 
or apex is flat : a lpiral path or track leading from 
the ground up to the top is ftill viflbie, where now 
grows a large, beautiful fpreading Red Cedar (Ju- 
niperus Americana) : there appear four niches, ex- 
cavated out of the fldes of this hill, at different 
heights from the bafe, fronting the four cardinal 
points; thefe niches or fentry boxes are entered in- 
to from the winding path, and feem to have been 
meant for refling places or look-outs. The circurm 
jacent 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 hun- 
dred bufhels in one feafon: the land hereabouts is 
indeed exceeding 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 fubjeCt 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 conftrubted for look-out 
towers. It is reafonable to fuppofe, however, that 
they were to ferve fome important purpofe in thole 
days, as they wrere public works, and would have 
required the united labour and attention of a whole 
nation, circumftanced as they were, to have con- 
ftrufted one of them almoft in an age. There are 
Y 2 feveral 
