Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1809-10-23

an intervening rock that had detached
itfslf and fallen from the arch above.
Our lights prepared, we begaa
our march down the rapid defcent
to the weltward the hrlf thing that
arrehed our attention in particular.
was human bones, which were TO und
in comfortable numbers from within
a few feet of where we landed, until
we reached the bottom of the noun
tain bones of every defcription are
to be found in abundance, though
notify decayed and broken to pieces;
yet two ikulls were taken out entire
few DAYS anterior to our Whiting
the place one OF them examined ,
it is larger than common, the fnci-
put is hatter the fuperciliary ridge
of the os fronts higher /, the two
tables and eiploe thicker than in any
human ikull ! ever before noticed.
"A callus formed by the dropping Of
water covered the os occipitis and ola
parictalia nearly to the coronal fu-
ture this was the cafe with many of
thofe in the Cave one place in par
ticuar, not lefs than half buihel OF
bones lay concealed together, and in
many others they are to be found adj
herring to the rocks 70 tenaeiouily as
not to be got off without breaking;
thefe bones appear to have been the
natural consequences reiulting from
the efuGon of much blood that
they were lain in battle is to be in
ferred from the following circom-
frances
Firit, the appearance of old forti.
6cations and places of defence in the
vicinity of the Cave, which are prom-
inent features of trouble. Secondly,
the manner in which the bones lie
plainly fhews that they were thrown
down in hurry, and left to roll Off
promifcuoufly. as the fituation below
and chance directed them--3dly,
from the appearance as to the tims
they have lain there, all equally fn-
perannua,ed and corroded down by
the unrelenting hand of time. 4thly,
becaufe they appear TO have been the
bones of adults excluiively many
of them old men here, as in other
viviparons animals of the clais ct
mamalie, age is evinced by the teeth |;
the incifIories and molares being con-
liderably worn away by long and FREE
quent notification that they ara
bones of men and not of women IL
fufpe6tcd from the following cIrcum.
ftance :--rhofe of men are larger
in general, the proceilss and rugoii-
ties more prominent. and the foilG
finules and fnuoiities for the inier-
ton and Judgement of the mufclcs.
tendons, nerves and blood-veiirlss
are more diitindly marked in men
than in women, all which circuu,-
fiances feem plainly TO occur in thoie
Immediately under our confdera-
ton befides, tits a well known TACT
that the aborigines of America are.
and ever were, tenacious Of theit
dead and will, at the riik of their
lives, bear off the bodies Of their
1ain brethren to fafe place of de-
po6t; here, then, they found it. and
here il was that the earth opened her
bowels to receive them, rocking from
their hands, and here no dou5t ihc
has prelcrved them for ages, free
from iotruf;on or contempt, until the
preiens more iaquiiltivc and auda-
cious generation has dared to iniul.
their names by tiampling oa their
aihes with anhallowed feet.
We next direGed our courie ~
the iouth part Of the cave. After
paling over rough uneven ground,
we came to imall valley, pear the
fouthern termination. On purifying
it few yards caltwa,dly, II made
ihort turn to the left, round fome
high rocks, and led down TO deep
hole of water, which is conjeeturci
to be part of kons's big ipring.--
From appearances, there is no doubt
but tbs water breaks up in the time
of food, and mandates the Whole
ccnvexity contained in the cavern.
notwithstanding The elevated part. at
this time. is above one hundred feet
above the level of the water.
Our cnnrGc was next directed 70