TRAVELS IN’ 
518 
chunk yards,* and ohelilks or pillars of wood, are 
the only monuments of labour, ingenuity and 
magnificence that I have feen worthy of notice, 
or remark. The region lying between Savanna 
river and Oakmulge, Eaft and Weft, and from 
the lea coafc to the Cherokee or Apalachean 
mountain, North and South is the moft remark- 
able for thefe high conical hiils, tetragon terraces 
and chunk yards. This region was poffefted by 
the Cherokees, fince the arrival of the Europeans, 
but they were afterwards difpoiTefted by the Muf- 
cogulges, and all that country was probably, many 
ages p eceding the Cherokee invaiion, inhabited 
by one naion or confederacy, who were ruled by 
the fame fyftein of laws, cuftoms and language, but 
fo ancient that the Cherokees, Creeks, or the na- 
tion they conquered, could render no account for 
■what purpofe thefe monuments were raifed. The 
mounts and cubical yards adjoining them, feem to 
have been raifed in part for ornament and recre- 
ation, and like wife to ferve fome other public 
purpofe, fince they are always fo fituated as to 
command the moft extenfive profpedt over the 
town and country adjacent. The tetragon terra- 
ces feem to be the foundation of a fortrefs ; and 
perhaps the great pyramidal mounts, ferved the 
purpofe of look-out towers, and high places for 
facrifice. The iunken area, called by white tra- 
ders the chunk yard, very likely ferved the fame 
conveniency that it has been appropriated to, 
by the more modern and even prefent nations of 
Indians, that is, the place where they burnt and 
other wife tortured the unhappy captives that were 
* Chunk yard, a term given by the white traders, to the oblong four 
fquare yard?, adjoining the high mounts and rotundas of-the modern Indi- 
ans- — In the centr e of thefe ftands the obelifk, and at each corner of the 
farther end {lands a fiove po it or ilrpng (bake,- where the captives that are 
Ifijpnt alive are bound. 
condemned 
