New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-01-03
VOL. Wiz. 30. DO

sad 1taa - j.is of tte assumed fart ~ their none,
slrc., aG zrce6 tte rou That No tn1sd'nre oi 10
szss md the formal on ~ ME terrace nad tFen pac,
since ff rse works wef. .Iccted-s chrono gra period
which shall not attcmrt 90 mcclure D. yclrs Ih.f
d,i1ct,On has been received believe, oy erery cue
/ ceeoias writer upon the sub'ect ol or antiquities
without any attempt 20 veIily he assumption upon
which 70 rt-ts. tave however found hat he works
occur unfortunately upon the frsi and upon The su
perof terraces as also upon the Islands - the skes
and rivers
! Missed by statements which no opportunity was A.
| ford a. verifying J nave elsewhere, though m .
guarded manner venured the opinion thst tn ancient
l remains Of Western New York belonged % The same
system Nth those ~ Ohio and the West generally
q ndef this hyyOitess. the question whether ihcy
the weaker efforts oi colony starting from the
South western cCntrcs OF tie ruder Efforts ~ pe0
pie just emerging from q n0madic state. becoming
fixed n their habits ard subsequently migrating south
~ard,-this question next suggested nsct ard J
gladly Gsalcd myself % the lli hberaity o. the
-ntiq0nisn Institution and this Society TO UDdf ~ 90
its nycsts CATION in anticipation - more detailed g.
port. 90 be dep0sit.d among the archives ~ me 80
CITY now beg 90 call the attention of me memoirs
present o. some Of The general results q The exana
tons which have had the honor 70 make under tnef
auspices.
The range Of my oosef, atoms extended from the
county Of - Lawrence the North % Chsuiauqno %
the south. embracing The counties Of Jerr'cn. 80
wego Ononosgs Oneida. Csyugs, Seneca. Ontario
| Wayne, Monroe Livingston. Orleans, Niagara tfl',
G,ncseo snd Wyoming Throughout this entire
region. ancient remains found in cou-l1eranle
abundance. they also occasionally found in the
counties adjoining those above named, upon me pfn
cpal tributaries Of the Delaware, susqlehanna and
| Allegheny They are known 10 extend down ne -us
qUehanns. far the valley Of the Wyoming end p
single discovered as FAR Esst IS Montgomery
county 10 the neighOofhood Of OFT Plain me, u p.
ssG arr 10 be found IN Canada but dcnuite lnior
nation received Of their localities j. is 10 be- OBJ
/ served that they are most numerous in sections o.
narkatle for their fertility Of soil their proslwy i
favorable hunting and fishing grounds-in short pos
sessug the creates number of requisites T. easy SUD
sistcuce They are particularly numerous 10 Jefrr
son county in the vicinity of the central Lakes 10 me
southern part of Monroe. Ia Livingston Gencsec and
Erie counties Many are said - exist IN Chsut91qne
bu, the laienoss OF the season and the unsuspeced
/ number Of remains elsewhere claiming attention.
prevented me from examining them.
To respect 10 the number of these r. MAINS some 80
tnae may be formed from the fact that Jefferson
county alone feen enclosures were found sufficiently
well preserved 20 admit Of being traced throughout
This is exclusive Of those probably greater number
which have been wholly Or in pat destroyed or OF
which Information could Doe 0otaincd, in ihc lmed
tune allotted 20 the investigation of that county II s
safe 10 estimate the whole number, which Originally
existed here al between thirty snd forty greater
number than before known 20 exist ~ the state
Erie County probably contained nearly rs many. In
the short period Of eight weeks devoted 10 the search
was enabled 10 ascertain the localities Oh not less iha
one bundled ancient works and 10 visit and make sur
veys Of hall that number From the iacis which have
fallen under my notice, feel warranted 10 estimating
the number which originally existed in the state, A.
from hundred 10 two hundred and hiiy Probably
half of these have been obterated by the piow, or
much oDcroached upon as to be no longer saisiac
tOfiiy traced
Were these works Of the general large size Of those
of the Western States. their numbers would De Just
ground Of establishment They are, however, Tor the
most part comparatively small varying from one g
the largest not exceeding sixteen acres in
area The embankments too are slight and the bitches
shallow the former seldom more thar four icet IN
hight, and the latter of corresponding proportions
The work most distinctly marked exists in the town of
Oakhed Gcnesce County u measures. 10 some pi4cc'
between seven and eight feet from the bottom % tie
ditch 20 the top OF the wall Ia some ceses the rm
bankncu is not more than loot 10 hgut hnq the thcl
of the same depth. Lest il should be doubted whether
works 30 slight can be satisfactorily traced IL may be-
observed that regular and continuous eltfaon o FIX
inches may always bee followed without difficulty
nrcspect Of position avery great uniformity s to he
observed throughout Most occupy high and com
mandng sites. the bluff edges OF the broad YER
by which the country rises from me lever oil inc
lakes From the brOws Of the limestone lodges where
some of these works occur in Jefferson snd Erie Coun
tee most extensive prospects may be obtained often
terminating in the blue belt Of the lakes distant from
ten 10 forty mies-the intervening country presenting
beautiful variety Of cleared and forest land dotted
with houses churches and villages. When found upon
lower grounds il is usually upen some dry Knoll or
little hill where banks OF streams serve 10 lend go
curity to the position. few have been found upon
gh elevations in the midst of swsmps where dense
forests and almost impossible marshes protected them
from discovery and attack In nearly all cases they are
placed in close proximity to some unailing supply Of
water near cOpiOus springs running streams. Gate
ways opening toward these always to be observed,
and in some guarded passages are also visible
These circumstances IN connection with others not
less uneQuvOcsl Indicate with great precision, the
purposes for which these structures were erected
IL has already been mentioned that Messrs clinton,
Yates and MOuton, and others have concluded upon
the assumption that none OF these works occur upon
the first and second terraces above the lakes that the
latter have subsidized TO their present level since their
erection. This conclusion does not necessarily folio"
from the premises Few positions susceptible 81 De
fence under the system practiced by all rude people
are 10 be found upon either OF these terraces the
builders consequently svsiled themselves OF the numer
GUS headlands and other deiensible positions which
border the supposed ancient shores of the lakes simply
because they afforded most efectual protection, with
least expenditure of labor.
/ found an entire uniformity in the indications Of
occupancy and in the character of the remains of ATT
discovered within these enclosures, throughout the
whola range of their occurrence. The hrst feature
which attracts notice upon entering them is the mum
Der of pits or excavations IN the carih Usuay Al lhe
points which are most elevated and dry These pits
are occasionally OF considerable size aud are popularity
called wells although nothing Is more obvious than
that they never could have been designed Tor any such
purpose They are usually from three to Tour but
sometimes from six eight feet in depth and OF pro
portonAte size at the top. Their purposes become sui
hcionty evident upon excavation. lhey were tne
cacles in which the former occupants of these works
deposited their stores Psrched corn, now completely
carbOnzed by long exposure IL 10 be discovered 10
considerable abundance In many OF them Instances
fell under my notice where II had been found untouched
10 the amount of bushels in these primitive depusto
ries Traces Of the bark and thin slips OF wood oy
which the deposits had been surrounded are also Ire
ouently to be found Ia many OF these enclosures the
sites o the lodges cabins are stu 10 De traced
These are marked by considerable sccumulauons OF
decomposed aud csrbonsccous mstter-stones inucn
burned charcoal and ashes mingled with the bones OF
animals with numerous fragments OF pottery, broken
pines and occasional rude ornaments such as beads ui
stone bone and shell. The pottery, may observe 10
passinc is of very good material snd appears 10 have
been worked and ornamtuicd with considerable TASTE
and skin Ia Is found Ia great sbund sncc ana IA
many of the enclosures under cultivation. bushels
of fragments might III desirable. be collected without
difficulty The material in commol with that Of al
the pottery Of the North composed OF clay
tempered uf may the term with pounded quartz
AMI shells or with tine sand 80 As 10 prevent shrnSSse
and resist the action Of fire Most OF u i wei burned
but none exhibits any appearance OF glazing Inc pipes
are mostly composed OF clay regularly ana omen sSn0i
fnly moulded and ornamented Ia various ways. some
bear the form Of animals the distinctive features OF
which are well preserved others are moulded 10 ths
form of the human head or are 'ariously uGiei anu
dotted with regular ngures They SIRE generally oil very
good nsteris the clay of fine quality and wen ounsu
some indeed are So hard smooth and synmt tiloS'' a'
almost 10 induce doubts OF their aboriginal oI'-,n
~omo OF the terra cotias other than pipes ART fu1-
very credtsbe specimens of art snd compare iaNoI
ably with any OF the productions OF the aoorisines
- "a I'll pofi