Litchfield enquirer., 1829-03-12


 aminer" had been founded, and stated to him candidly my opinions.
 He stated to me, that notwithstanding the state of public opinion, which was of ten regulated by crude speculations or ig- norance, the matter was worthy of further investigation, as connected with the abori- ginal history of the country, in which fu- ture generations would feel more interes- ted than the present: and that if would attempt more ample and satisfactory iu- vestigation of the subject, he would afford me every facility in his power. Knowing that had some business to transact at the eastward, and that by deviating little from the route intended to be pursued in the journey, the cave might be visited, and the bodies themselves examined, he prof fered to accompany me that distance.
 We found the cavern, if such it might be called, within a few hundred yards of the bank of the Clancy Fork of Cumberland river, in country remarkable for the rug gedness of its aspect aud the lofty and ab- rupt acclivity of its hills and mountain.
 The cavern itselfis situated near the top of a gorge or steep ravine, formed by the junction of two lofty and almost impracti- cable hills, which, approaching each other nearly at right angles, formed junction at and below the cavern, and opened to the westward. The top of the cave was a projecting fiat rock, impervious to water, which rested on the uppermost junction of these hills, and seemed to be incorporated with both. Over the outer edge of this rock, from some fountain which neither the Doctor nor myself had leisure to examine, small cascade. whether perennial or oth- erwise could not be determined, precipita- ted itself to the bottom of the ravine, at the opening of the deep valley below, prob ably distance of more than one hundred feet. Immediately behind the highest part of this sheet of water, and about six or sev- en feet below the smooth surface of the projecting rock above, we found the bot- tom of the cave, which was of earthly clay, and as dry as an ash heap, which had long been exposed to the sun. The bodies had been previously discovered, by some per- sons in search of nitrous, or probably cop- pepas earth and, aficra partial examina- ton, on which the publiction in the " Ex- amincr" had been made, were recommit- cd to their original situation, under impress sions that the spirits of deceased persons generally amused themselves by haunting the disturbers of tho dead We easily found the spot of e-interment, which wa. apparent from the freshness of the earth
 and after penetrating the dry earth abou, two feel, came to the collins, and divested them of their lids or covers, &c. One oI the bodies, that ofthe male, seemed to have undergone considerable change ow- ing probably to the former exposure of it to the atmosphere, and was not removed from its bed. The other, that of the fe- male. which appeared in state of high preservation, and seemed to have suffered no recent mutation, was raised entirely with its coffin and wrappings. The coffin, rather more than four feet in length, was manufactured of split reeds neatly polsh- cd, and intcrlaced in the manner of wicker or basket wOrk. It was suited to the di- mensions ofthe body, when enveloped in all its interior covering,--and surmounted with close lid or cover, of the same ma terial and workmanship. The outer wrap pings were deer skins, soft and pliant to the hand, dressed to retain their thick coats of hair, and by process of which l know nothing, and consequently can say nothing. The next, and much more remarkable en- velope, was mantle of feathers, about six feet square; ofa bright, glossy surface and a reddish brown color. The feathers were short and soft, and if their primitive hue, were the plumage of some bird of which we know nothing. The wool or web, to which they were evidently attach- cd in the manufacture, and which disposed of them all in the same direction on both sides, appeared to have been fabricated of the fibre or lint of the wild nettlc, which is probably the growth of most countries of the globe. This mantle, held up to a strong light, and gradually varied in its po- sitions, presented to the eye glossy and varying surface-not much inferior in bril- lisncy to that of changeablc silk. The inmOss cnvslope, or shrouding Lext to the body, was apparently of the material and texture which characterized the Web of the mantle ample in its dimensions, and ofa coarse but even and smooth fabric-and whether woven or knitted, neither the doc- tor nor myself could satisfactorily deter mine. It was ofa light faxen colour, and seemed to have been sOftened by artificial