Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-07-26

|. NANAiooLi'Is- IN THE VALLEY OF THE MIssfs-
sIPPI.-" Considerable curiosity has been excited
by appearances on the Mississippi and its tributa
~ waters, supposed to prove a more ancient pop
uaton than the state of the country, or the char
acter OIL the tribes lnhabiIing it, when first visited
by Europeans, would seem 10 indicate.
Ihe American Bottom is a tract of rich allu.
wal land, extending on the Mississippi, from the
hasNaskia 70 the Cahokia river, about eighty
miles In length ard FIVE in breadth several hand
some streams rneander through it the soil of the
richest kind and but little subject TO the effects
OF the Mississippi floods Ii any yestipe OF an
Gent population were to be found, this would be
the place to look for.it. Accordingly, this tract,
as also the bank of the river on the westefi side
ekn'o,. proofs OF an immense popuation.--:f the
city Of Philadelphias and its enyirons were 5e..
serted, there would be moro ,.,,.neroas tras4
oil human existence. The great number a
mounds, and the astonishing quantity OF human
bones, every day dug up, and found or the sur
lace OF the ground, w.th-a thousand other ap-
Pfarances, announce that this valley was at Que
period filled with inhabitants and villages. The
whole lace OF the bluff, or hill, which abounds To
the east, appears TO have been continued burial
ground.
But the most remarkable appearances arc two
groups OF mounds pyramids, the one about
twelve miles above Cahokia, the other nearly the
same distance below it, which, in all exceed one
hundred and !iity, of various sizes:-A more nil
toierable idea of them al-They are mostly OF a
circular shape and at distance resemble enor-
| nous haystacks scattered through meadow One
OF the largest is about two hundred PAGES in cir
cumferencc at tho bottom, the form nearly square.
Ihe top level with All area sufficient to contain
| several hundred men.
" At the distance Of three miles along the bartE
OIL the CahokIa river there is the largest assem-
| bi9ge-the principal one Of which is stupcud-
Gus pile OF mass OF earth that must have teuuir-
| ca years and the labour of thousands to accom-
Piish: y" ere 1t not for the regularity and des sign
winch 1t mauliests, the circumstance of its benc
on aliuvial ground; and the other mounds scat
'ered around, 1t could scarcely be believed to be
the work OF human hands The shape is that Of
paral!ellogram standing from north to south ON
inc south side there is broad apron, or STEP a.
oout hall way down, and from this, another pro-
Jection INTO tie plain; about fifteen feet wide
which was probably intended as an ascent to the
mound The circumference at the base is at
least eight hundred yards and the height of the
pyramid about ninety feet
Several Of these mounds are ,Imost co,;c,
and at regular distances from each other about
! @lllch are scattered pieces of aes ,a,A f.aaMests
Of earthern vessels
| curious discovery made few years ago in
the o'ate OF tennessee, proves, beyond doubt
that at some remote period the valley of the Mis-
slissipPi had been inhabited by much more civ
| iiizeu people thar when first known to us-Two
hu nan bodies were found in copperas cave. in
a surprising state of preservation. They were
/ lfst Wrapped up III kind of blanket supposed to
nave bcen manufactured Of the lint of netles az.
| forwards with dressed skins, and then mat of
nearly sixty yards in length. They were clad in
beau liul cloth, interviewer with feathers such
as was manufactured by the Mexicans They
'ao Deeh here, perhaps, for centuries, and GER
tainiy were OF a different race from the modern
indians-They might have belonged to the OIL
mecs, who overran Mexico about the seventh CEN
fury to the Ioultccs who came centuries after
i "aios or 10 the AZecs, who founded the great
city OF Mexico about the thirteenth century.
| In tracing the org in of institutions or invcn-
t.ohs amongst men, we are apt to forget, that ma
'iolS' however diversified by manners and lam
guages, are yet of the same species and that the
same institutions may originate AMONGST twenty
diherent people. The wonder would be, that they
should not Shew resemblance We find those
hIonnds IN every part of the globe; in the north
+ oil EUROPE, and in Great Britain they are numcr
Gus, ana much resemble ours but less considera-
Die Ihc Pyramids of Egypt arc perhaps the old
| e'' 'hohuheh'S OF human labour in that country,
so favorable to the production of a numerous non.
ulation. The pyramids of.Mexico, which arc hi,
iit;le knoWhi and yet scarcely less considerable
IKE those OF Egypt, have their origin bid in the
night Of oblivion '"'
Who will assign, as the age of America. a
period OF years different ftom that allowed to.
What mas been denominated, the old World? D.
The multiplicity Of proofs contradict the REGENCY
oil her origin; deeply nbcddcd stores of carbon
ated wood, the traces of ancient volcanoes We
coud appeal to her tlmc-worn cataracts, and chan
nciS oil mighty rivers, and to her venerable noun
taIns--Grant, then, that America may have ey-
isted few thousand years the same causes prc.
I Vaihh9. Ike effects will be produced the same
revolutions as have been known In the old world
may have taken place hcre."-See V;c,rs of = ~,
's'0no, by IL. M. Breckenridge Esq
=" The Saline below St Geneviove, cleared on, so,oo
ume ago, and deeponed, found to contain vagron
S u cdrthenyaro, some fragments bcspoakrnr YES.
ses as large as barrel and proving that the Saues had
oeen worked before they were known to Tic whites"
| APPROACH TO CONSTANTINOpI
J - from DR.. Walsh's Journey1