New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-02
AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES.
The U-e Of Copper by the Alb ortsines.

The questions naturally arse BY whom wer,
these ancient mining operations carried on snc
70 what era may they be referred Without no
ticing tue improbable suggestion, that the vsriou.
excavations which have been discovered are due
q the French who II IS well known, were early
acquainted with the mineral riches Of the North.
vest We nay find a satisfactory answer u the
first of these questions If not 70 the last, IN the
character OF the deposits which recent expora-
lions have disclosed from the Mounds Of the West
Among the multitude OF relics Of art ioHnd buried
upon the ancient affairs or beside the bones OF the
dead articles Of Copper are Of common occur
renee. It IS sometimes found in native masses
but generally worked into articles OF use or orna-
ment have taken nom the mounds axes, well
wrought from sisgle pieces, weighing upward %
two pounds each. They are symmetrical cores.
ponding very nearly. in shape. with the Mexican
aud Peruvian axes. Some are double bsded.
others soage-shapei and evidently designed t. be
used as adzes. Beside these, chisels. craving
tools and great variety Of ornaments, bracelets,
gor-ets, beads etc. etc. composed OF this meta
have been discovered. some Of the ornaments
are covered with silver beaten TO great thinness,
many persons have supposed that the ancient
people understood the difficult art Of plating.
some years ago. mass of native Copper, weigh
ing upward OF twenty poands was found upon the
banks Of the Scioto River, near Chillicothe, in
Ohio. Larse portions bad evidently been cut
from It The discovery OF these native masses.
not 20 mention the amount Of the manufactured
Copper. implying a large original supply, points
pretty certainly TO the shores Of Lake Superior
the locality whence the metal was obtained
There are other circumstances still more concu
sive and which taken in connection with the
traces Of ancient mining 10 the Mineral region.
leave no doubt that the race OF the Mounds Oh
tanned their supplies OF Copper from that direc-
ton. 10 IS well known that while some OF the
AXE Superior Copper - almost perfectly pure.
part aoyed with silver IN various proportions,
and some IS lound having crystals Of silver at
tached 20 ia peculiar mscf0RicO-chemicdi pre-
D0rdffOH known 10 exist nowhere except IN this
region This Characteristic combination has been
observed In some OF the specimens both worked
and unworked, found in the mounds, and enables
70 identity fully neir primitive locality The great
industry and skill which the uiine.builders dis
played IN the numerous and often gigantic move
/ ments which they have left Us at the West. war
rant m ascribIng the ancient excavations, etc
| In the Mineral region TO them The Indian hunter
is proverbially averse 90 labor, and We have in
! stance OF the Indians undertaking works of this
extent Still, It cannot be doubted that they also
obtained Copper from this region. Indeed, We
have direct evidence of the fact but Il is probably
that they procured It only in small quantities,
| when IL was found exposed AZ the surface, or on
| the banks OF streams Alexander Henry, who
penetrated 10 axe Superior at the period OF the
/ 4. . ..k Ill.
obtained Copper here, which they made into
/ bracelets spoons etc. Trdreis, y. 1851 The
early explorers on the coasts OF New England,
| New York Virginia the CarOhnas and Florida
| among whom may mention Hudson, Nerrezano,
| Raleigh Heriot Rbaude, De Soto, all concur In
saying that the Indians had Copper ia small guam
| titles among them, which they worked into pipes
| and ornaments. Do Soto found Copper hatchets
/ among some OF the tribes along the Gulf which
| they protested 20 have obtained from province
called Ckisca Tar toward the North.
All the Copper found in the mounds appears t.
have been worked IN a cold state, and although
| the axes and other instruments appear 10 be hard
er than the Copper OF commerce, they have been
found, upon ansly TO be destitute OF alloy. The
superior hardness which they possess, over the
! unwOrked metal, is doubtless due 10 the hammer
! iag 10 which they have been subjected. Some Of
the scul ptures in pOrphyry and other hard stones,
| found IN the mounds exhibit traces OF having been
| ctf bat as they now turn the edge OF the best
tempered knife, we are at a loss to Onjecture how
they were SO deliberately and delcately worked
The Jack of cutting implements, among most rude
! people is partially met by various cOntrivances,
| the most common of which is attrlton, or rubbing
or grinding on hard stones Ii was thus the stone
axes etc. OF the early Indians were slowly and abo
riously brought into shape. IL however needs but
a single glance at the mound sculptures 10 con-
vince the observer that such rude means are who'll
| Is inadequate TO the production of works possess
| ing so much delicaey of execution. The Mexi.
cans and Peruvians were wholly unacquainted with
the use OF iron, and their carvings etc. were all
wrought with Copper tools. They however con
triyed to harden them by an alloy OF from to
per cent. OF tin. have some OF their implements
| in my possession, which answer very good cut
| ting purpose. IL nevertheless seems incompre-
! hensible how their extensive works IN granite,
| pOrphyry and other obstinate materials could be
carried on with such aids. The Egyptians, al
| though not ignorant OF iron, were compelled, by a
variety OF circumstances, 70 use Copper tools and
with these most Of their gigantic abOrs were
effected They must OF necessity have had some
means Of hardening the metals, yet It IS a singu-
| lar TACT that with the exception OF a few bronze
weapons Of probably a comparatively late date,
the chisels and other implements found in the
monuments and at the quarrles, are pure Copper.
We are OF course ignorant Of the process by which
the evanescent property OF hardness was commu-
nicated 70 them-a lost secret which, ike that OF
making mslleable glass may yet be redscoyered
| Yoar. g. sQUlER
N.+ Yors, Sor. s. So