Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-20
ANTIQUITIES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
vnon rHK NATIONAL sAzrrrr.

FROM THK HArIoHAL aAzKrTE.
The western portions Of the Empire State have long been
known possess Indian antiquities similar to those 20
mon in the Mississippi vslley-mounds and rude forifca
tons supposed be the wok Of unknown aboriginal races
the predecessors the uncuured red men. There is chain
Of these ssrhwos which appears traverse 10 the shape
of connected series of defence the middle section Of the
State from the county Of st. Lawrence, the northeast, to
Chauisuque in the southwest Their eas,wardy
OF the former locality. and monumm ii s believed have
been discovered upon the Atlantic coast. For long lime
these strange vesges have excited the specusons Of
snquarians and, deenng them worthy Of careful nvsss-
gaton the New York Historical Society, conjunction with
the Smithsonian Institute, employed the Hon. G. SeUrERy
the welknown diplomatic and Distinguished aSchvoogis to
explore, and possible 10 ascertain their nssure and origin
The result Of that ssneman researches has been set forth
by him recently in octave volume embracise 343 pages
His opinion to tho period Of time from which the relics
date their existence hst very rsmse and that
the most ancient Of the do not belong to dsy
much, If al ALL anterior to that ct which the earliest En-
ropean settlements made in Amscs This conclusion
Of Mr. SauIIR s thought by Of the critics. who how
hardly claim possess his experience to bsnco,
rsc; and suggested by tAen evidence Of is un
soundnes that the sites Of the Notifications questiouwere
obviously overgrown with large forest when Western
and Northern New York FIRST settled by the whites
The number Of the remains referred 10 is conecturcdby
Mr. 8. to have been originally least two hundred fifteen
Of which he found In good preservation in the single county
Of Jefferson As many surmscd have been obi
terated BY the plough within the limits district of
country In point Of artistic formation and also dimensions
these works described being greatly inferior similar
edfces in the Western States few embracing within their
greater extent Of ground than fur acres, and none
more than sixteen The entire series said present re-
markabe uniformity Of appearance, and the works consist
for the most part Of excavations dry and elevated spots of
earth ranging in depth from three eight feet Mr. s.
attributes them to the Iroquois their neghbors and the
signs which led him that inference were those he found in
the enclosures ameng which are mentioned remains of
parched completely carbonzed sites of ancient lodges
dpostes Of deccmposed cabonsceous Matters black
ened by fire, and bones mingled with ashes and charcoal
pieces Of broken pottery pipes heads and ornaments
Of stone, bone, and shell.
New York contemporary, speaking Of the
ferred to- says:
Their sites are, almost without exception, near the bluff
change in geological fbmation-by which
the country rises in terraces backward from tho surface the
lakes From this circumstance have been led sup
poee, eroneousy doubt that they erected works
lakes and that they originally stood upon the shores Of nav
gable waters which have since subed within their present
lower and basins. Those remains Of structures
which form inland chain nearly parallel with the lake
Shores far have observed them, face the north
and rcoect tracing the northeast Of
Fort Hill, in Genesee county, two welde6nedanges similar
TO those marked by modern engineers The bill itself is
high promontory Of land juttng nohwad with entrench
aents formed by throwing the earth Of the bitches around
It's brows The forests being between it and the lake.
which invaders likely come doubtless es-
tsemed an additional protection"