Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-01-06
ANTIQUITIES IN AMERICA.

Throughout the entire length and breadth
OF the country-washed, as it is by the waters
OF two mighty oceans, and abounding in natu-
raj resources-enormou beyond what is i'm
possible to cOnceive-Fe find much to admire
in the aspect and beauty of natures and whcth-
er we travel from the distant shores of Maine
and New Brunswick to the golden sands OF Cal
ifornia, and the shores Of the great Pacific, or
from the bright crystal lakes OF Minnesota to
the orange groves of Florida,we behold ,hro'
ont the immense extent, the features of nature.
grand and beautiful in every form and aspect.
The minerologist, the geologist, the natural
list, the botanst, and even the antiquarian have
all rich field here.
Strange as it may appear, America abounds
IN antiquities, extensive, SO beautiful and
majestic, as to rival those of Thcbes or Nine
veh. Ruins of ancient cities, OF immense eX-
tent fortfcstions, mounds and pyramids; !;
temples with walls built of hcwn stone showing
!, refined taste in architecture-and adorned
with human figures beautifully executed; large
alters ornamentcd with hierogiyphics, proba-
bly, giving a record of those who reared them,
but which no man has been able 10 dccipher !;
remains of ancient palaces, with beautiful spc-
cimens OF sculpture and painting, with many
other marks of ancient greatness, prove to us
tha: this is not new world, but that power
iul empire existed at a very remote period OF
time, tccming with population highly skilled
in arts, and in state of civilization far beyond
anything We have been led to conceive Of the
aborigincs, previous to the discovery of the
continent by Europeans.
The antiquities of America extend from the
eastern shores of Maine and Massachusetts to
the Pacific, and from the great lakes and Brit.
fsh douinions, to Peru and La Plata in Souti
America in fact, Throughout the extent of both
continents. Immense forests grow over the
ruins of large cities, and the gigantic size o.
the trees, with indications that other genera
tions Of trees sprung up and grew before them
proves that the ruins were in existence before
the Christian era. In every portion of the U
nited States interesting ruins have been dis
& covered. In the State of NcwY ork have beer
found sculptured figures of one hundred ami
mails of different species, executed in STYLE
far superior to anything exhibited By any o
the existing tribes of Indians. The State o
Ohio ajounds in ruins of towns and fortiffca
tions, with extensive mounds and pyramids
Al Marietta, and in Missouri, beautiful potte
~, silver and copper ornaments. and pearls o
great beauty and luStre, have been dug from
the earth. In the caves Of Tennessee and Ken
Iucky, mummies have been found, in 4 higl
state OF preservation, clothed with cloths an,
skins of various texture, iulaid with feathers
Like discoveries have been made at CarroIton
near Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin
ruins Of huge f0rtitications appear. Simila
ruins appear in the State of Missouri. On tn
south side of the Missouri river, in the west
ern portion of the State, is an enclosure o
some five hundred acres, which includes tn
ruins Of a building (no doubt ancient tower
with wallis over one hundred feet high, an
eighty feet wide at the base, attached to whic
are a ledoubt and citadel, with work mnch re
scmbling the structure of a tower in Europe
But it is in the south of Mexico that magnif
cent and beautiful ruins present themselves
abundance. Ruins of majestic cities and mag
niiicent temples and altarS, with beautiful work
of sculpture, tastefully wrought palaces q
dorned with paintngs-c chiefly sky-blu
and light green-which show by their rich
ness and elegance, to be the work of highl
cultivated people.
These ruins, majestic and beautiful in aI
pearance, but overgrown with thick forests {
mahogany and cedar of immense dimension