Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-08-11
!fltstelionsolls.
Mummies in Kentucky.

Lexington, in Kentucky, stands nearly on the
site Of an ancient town, which was of great ex-
tent and magniicence, as is amply evidence by
the wide range of its crcumviallatory works,
and the qnantiJy of ground it once occupied.
There was connected with the antiquities of
this place, a catucomb, formed 10 the bowels of
this limesto nc rock, about fifteen feet below the
surface of the Garth, adjacent to the town of
Lexington. This grand object, so novel and ex
traordinary in this country, was discovered in
| l775, by some of the first settlers, whose curl
ositv was excited by something remarkable in
the character of the stones which covered the
erance to the cavern within. They removed
these stones, and came to others of singular sp.
pearance for stones in natural shape. The
removal Of which laid open the mouth of a cave,
deep, gloomy and terrific as they supposed.
With augmented number, and provided with
light, they decended and entered, without OBJ.
srnction Il spacious apartment; the sides and
extreme ends we're formed into inches and COM
patments, and occupied by figures represent
ing men. When alarm subsidized, and the SEN
timent of dsmay and surprise permitted further
research and inquiry. the figures we're found to
be mummies, preserved by the art of emba I'm
ing, to as great state Of perfection as was
known among the ancient Egyptians eighteen
hundred years before the Christian era; which was
about the time that the Israees were in bond
age in Egypt, when this art was in lie perfec-
ton.
Unfortunately for antiquity, science, and every
thing else held sacred BY The illuminated and
learned, this inestimable discovery was made at
the period when bloody and inveterate war
was carried on between the Indians and the
power of the natives was dismayed in so savage
a manner that the whites were filled with revenge
Animated by this vindictive spirit, the dis
coverers of the eatacombs delighted to wreck
their vengence even on the mummies, supposing
them TO be of the same Indian race with whom
| they were then at with
They dragged them out to the open air, tore
the bandages open, kicked the bodies into dust
and made general bonfire of the most ancient
remains antiquity could boast. The descent into
this cavern is gradual, the width four feet, the
height seven, and the whole length of the cata-
comb was found 10 be eighteen rods and u half,
by six and half; and calculating from the
inches and shelvings an the sides, it was suffi
cien,ly capacious to have contained at least two
thousands subjects.
! could never, says Mr. Ash, from whose trav
els we have taken this account, learn the exact
quantity it contained the answer to the iuqui-
rles which he made respecting it, we're" Oh
they burnt up and destroyed hundreds" Nor
could he arrive at any knowledge Of the fashion,
manner, and apparel OF the mumnies, or
receive any other information than that they
tsere ,ceN tapped up," But not being content
with the uncertain information Of persons who
it seemed, had an adequate knowledge of the
value Of this discovery, he caused the cavern
CLEANED for such fragments as yet remained IN
the inches, Oh its shelving sides, and on the
floor. The quantity of remains thus gathered
up, mounted to forty or fifty baskets, the dust
of which WAS so light and puDgent as to affect
the eyes even to tears and the nose to sBeezng
to troublesome degree.
lie then proceeded on minute investigation,
and separated from the general mass several
pieces of human linbs, fragments Of bodies
solid, and apparently capable of external dura,
ton. In a cold state they had no smell what
ever, but when submitted to the action of fire,
gave out on agreeable effluvia. but was like
nothing in its fragrance to which we could CON-
pare it..
On this subject Mr.. Ash has the following re-
| feclions -" How these bodies were enbalmed,
how long preserved, by what nations, and from
what people descended,no opinion can be formed,
nor any calculation made, but what must result
from speculative fancy and wild conjectures.
For my part, nm lost in the deepest ignorance.
My reading affords inc no knowledge, travels no
| light. have neither read nor known of any of
the North American Indians who formed cata j.
cobs for their dead, or who were acquainted with
the art Of preservation by embalmiDg.
"The Egyptians, according to Herodotus, who
aourshed four hundred and fifty years before
Christ, had three methods of embalming but
Dodorus, who lived before Christ, IN the time
OF julius Cesar, observes that the ancient Egyp-
tians had fourth method, of far greater superb
orlty. That method is not described by Diodo-
rus; 1t had become extnc, in his time; and yet
cannot think it presumptious, to conceive that
the American mummies were preserved after
'hat very maaner,o or, at least, with a mode of
equal virtue and effeci."- Priests .qrnericca
antiquities,