Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-08-05
ANTIQUITIES
? OF INTERIOR AMERICA

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3 Besides those ruins il the Illinois and
Wabash countries, which have often been
mentioned, there are others no less re-
markabie, many hnadred Of miles farther
west, particularly in the country about The
great tails Of the Mississippi. As VIC ap,
proaca these falls, commonly called S..
An.hony's, we frequently meet with py.
ramids of Garth, from thirty to aeseety,
and even eighty feet in height. These are
aaast probably the tombs Of thu ancirn.
kings and chieftains Of this partof Ame.
RIGA, slough there are Others which am
Inclined 10 believe were erected IN conse,
Goence Of some signal viclory, aud pnssi-
bly, to cover the bones and carcasrs OF the
slain. Ia digging horiz onfaI!y into seve-
raj Of these pyramids, litsle above the
base, we generally found strafunn OF
white substance somewhat like msis. lime,
aud glutinons wilhal. extending 10 all pro.
babslpy several yards within, or perhaps
neatly The whole lsng,h Of the dlsmesrical
line. had even reasen. 70 believe this
consolidated chalky substance to be the
remains Of skeletons buried, perhaps TWO
hundred centuries ago, and converted by
time nod the operations of the eieGsais in.
10 their present STATE.
Many tokens remain, on bath side Of
the Mississippi, of their b-ing in aocient
sges as well cultivated ard as shick!y inha.
bard asahe coua,rv on The Danube or III.
Rhine; which fully proves that the llsrraii
have been TOO has'y in disseminating Amc
riea new weird, Or so original present
10 sh@ European tsos, he haads OF rude
mature.
+ A copper nine was opened SO me years
SINGS further Gown the Mississippi, and TO
the great ise OF the laborers. large
collection OF the mining tools were found
several ta:homs below the roper6ees Of the
.arih. Aro,her person. ia digging for
well, discovered a furnace Of brick work S
fahofns below the presens surface aud in
shis lor0ace were found a quantity .,f Goals
and hsebraads, which, for augh. We know,
might have been kipdled 10 the days Of
Moses or LycWgus.
Nee long siace, at sFat> on the Ohio,
where the bark had rb>en wasted by al IN
deFmlE.ag of the water, stone dropped
out OF The haTdes: kind Of black marble,
absus sevea pounds 10 weight, having 10
tqoal suffaces5 each surface being na,he.
ma~icsliy equllairal and eqoiangular five
sided figures, this does DOT appear to be
sasus na.a'as; bas work of exquisite art,
thr offspF:pg Of kumau ingenuity. Near
The lalls OF the mississippi there is sal.
spring III Abe bed CT the river, which has
been eac!osed with stone work Of unknown
anuqal:y, 10 keep out the fresh water. la
Il mes OF trssEles, however, the river over.
! hows the stone work and n,ixes wnh .he
brine, SO that ii does not afford salt 10 the
savages hereabauis Until the river is consi.
dsrably fallen.
In several places. circular Notifications
have been discovered 10 the sarue country;
these arc constantly .inclosed with deep
bitches and fenced w,tha bress. work.
From these, aud many other similar re.
mains Of antiquity, one would be inclined
70 think the world much older than has
been commonly imagined, Several tribes
ON the western side Of the great river a..
aforementioned, date their esisiance for
more TIN twenty thousand moons back,
and the Indians Of the western world 20
inhnitely farther into the depths of time,
though both relate many eveats of these
distant periods that are evidently mixed
with fable.
h/,IoL n