Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1837-07-01

arc numerous, and exceedingly interesting. They
are found in the Eastern States-in the whole
valley Of the Mississippi, in the Southern States,
and IN Mexico. In Ohio axe was found stuck
in the stump Of a tree thirty feet below the sur
face of the earth, and the trunk which had been
fclled living beside it-showing that forest once
occupied that position, and that people in high
state Of civilization inhabited the country. Far
beneath the present surface OF the earth In that
region arc found hearths containing the ashes and
Goals as they were left by their last possessors.
Farther west, utensils for various purposes OF
beautiful workmanship have been dug up. with
ornaments of gold and silvcr-Parts of sword hilts
-coins of Rome, Persia, and other parts OF the
Eastern Conti0cnt-and idols and sacred vases o!
curious and beautiful workmanship.
In Mexico and other parts Of South America,
have been discovered the foundation walls ofrcg-
ular buildings of large dimensions; and III Guafc-
n,ala have been found the ruins Of "a stone city of
no less dimensions than thrtytwo miles in length
and twelve in breadth, full OF palaccs, monuments
statues, and nscrpsions one of the earliest seats
of American utilization, apparently equal In size
and magnificence to Thcbcs of ancient Egypt.
From these premises it appears that this part
of the world can boast of as great antiquity as A
STA Africa-sIncc no remains In those quarters
of the globe can date farther back than some Of
the antiquities lately discovered here. In the
history of ancient Egypt, that country is prcsum
cd from the remains Of its architecture, utensils,
&c, to have reached a high degree of excellence
in the sciences and the arts. and to have been f-
cd with an enlightened people. From similar
discoveries in Guatemala and other parts of the
continent OF America, the people inhabiting this
fertile country, and the great cities whose extcn-
sivc ruins still point their place, mast have
been as far advanced in the arts and sciences as
the ancient Egyptians. or perhaps the present IN
habitants Of the United States and Europe What
could have exterminated an entire people, occu-
pying a whole continent, that not one individ-
hal of them should remain, is mystery. That
they extermnatcd by the incursion of some
warlikc tribe, is most probable. Yet when the
Visigoths overrun the South Of Europe, and con-
quered the nations, the people were only plumber
ed, and no case is on record Of any large nation
being wholly extcfminatcd, and this could hardly
take place without a flood or a universal pesti-
lcncc.
The remains of the forts in the West, particu-
larly those the Muskingum river, arc among
the most wonderful discover yet made in that
region. Their extent is SO great that none but
great people immensely great army could
have erected them. The mounds too, some OF
them one hundred feet in height, defy all conjec-
turc as to the cause OF their formation.
The bones of huge animals which once roamcd
free over this vast continent, and which have been
found i'll all situations, beneath the soil and above
it, arc objects o: great curiosity. That animals
once existed four or five times large the lar
gest Elephant, may well aston:sh us; but we can
not doubt it. when the skeleton is before US. Dc
casionally isolated bones and tusks have been dis
covered, of such extraordinary size, that the ami
NAL to which they belonged, must have been ca
pablo Of consuming elephant at a meal and the
great lizards sevcnty-five feet in length, must
have been terrible in the water, those huge
animals were upon the 1and.
A work is soon to appear from the Society o.
Northern Antiquaries, which will describe in de
tail, all that is at present known Of the Antiqui
ties Of America. From that we shall learn many
more important facts; but enough IS already
known to convince us that it only wants enter
prise and time in our antiquarians and scientific
men, to unfold the entire history of the great PEG
pie who once inhabited this country. Inscrip
lions there arc in abundance. in good preservation
which may yet be deciphercd; coins, medals ant
basso rclieros will help tell the story; and We shall
eventually learn that this srOrId IS but the
cicnt burying ground of a departed race.