12 
REVIEWS. 
of the North. The “ structures” to which Mr. Squier alludes, are 
described by him both in his ‘ Second Memoir,’ and also in the 
‘Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley,’ (p. 120.) The 
“ Chunk Yards,” now or lately in use among the Creeks, and which 
have only recently been abandoned among the Cherokees, are rect¬ 
angular areas, generally occupying the centre of the town, closed at 
the sides, but with an opening at each end. They are sometimes 
from six to nine hundred feet in length, being largest in the older 
towns. The area is levelled and slightly sunk, being surrounded by 
a low bank formed of the earth thus obtained. In the centre is a 
low mound, on which stands the Chunk Pole, to the top of which is 
some object which serves as a mark to shoot at. Near each corner 
at one end, is a small pole, about twelve feet high ; these are called 
the “ slave-posts,” because in the “ good old times” captives con¬ 
demned to the torture, were fastened to them. The name “ Chunk 
yard” seems to be derived from an Indian game called “ Chunke,” 
which was played in them, 
At one end of, and just outside this area, stands generally a cir¬ 
cular eminence, with a flat top, upon which is elevated the Great 
Council House. 
At the other end is a flat-topped, square eminence, about as high 
as the circular one just mentioned, “ upon this stands the public 
square.” 
These, and other accounts given by early travellers among the 
Indians, certainly throw much light on the circular and square 
enclosures; but some of those, classed by Messrs. Squier and Davis 
under this head, seem to us to be the slight fortifications which sur¬ 
rounded villages, and were undoubtedly crowned by stockades. We 
have already seen that the position of the ditch is in reality no argu¬ 
ment against this view; nor does the, position of the works seem 
conclusive, if we suppose that the works were intended less to stand 
a regular siege than to guard against a sudden attack. 
Sepulchral Mounds. 
The Sepulchral mounds are very numerous. “ To say that they 
u are innumerable in the ordinary sense of the term, would be no 
“ exaggeration. They may literally be numbered by thousands and 
“ tens of thousands.” They vary from six to eighty feet in height; 
generally stand outside the enclosures: are often isolated, but often 
also in groups; they are usually round, but sometimes elliptical or 
pear-shaped. They cover generally a single skeleton, which however 
is often burnt. Occasionally there is a stone cist, but urn burial 
also prevailed to a considerable extent, especially in the Southern 
States. The contracted position of the corpse seems to be as usual 
as in the more ancient burials of Europe. Implements both of stone 
and metal occur frequently; but while personal ornaments, such as 
bracelets, perforated plates of copper, beads of bone, shell, or metaJ, 
