The New Orleans crescent., 1868-08-23

Mr.. W. DeHsss writes to the st. Louis Demo
crst:
1.-THE mounds on the American Bottom, in Illi-
nois are comprised in two separate groups con-
stitutirg one grand and imposing system. They
number nearly two hundred, including those on
the adjscent bluff. They are of various sizes aud
shapes, rising from the scarcely distnguishable
elevation 10 the imposing structure Of ninety
feet. They are cOnicsl, ellipsoidal, truncated,
square and tetrogOnal. They entirely OF
earth, and raised with as much regularity and
symmetry as a potter would mould model 10
clay. They have all been formed from material
taken from the adjacent plain or bluf-vegetable
mold, clay and soil, and present a marked mot
tied appearance, identical with the mounds In
the Ohio valley. Every mound has been elevated
by human labor, and he who denies this self
evident fact simply acknowledges himself igno-
rant Of the subject. The evidence, externally
and internally, position, structure, character and
contents, clearly, positively and Enthusiastically
prove this.
1.-The tumuli under consideration we're probably
all erected by the same people. We cannot here,
in the case Of the ancient Britons, determine
from the character of the mounds the type of race
they cover. There. the long, or elliptical barrow
contains the long or dOlichOcepfdLic head aud per
cOT,ird, the round conical barrow contains the
round or brdchycephdlio head Here, we have
the long and round mounds, but not human crans
of corresponding type confined to those forms.
We have here the semi prOgnathous and pyra-
midal heads, but not confined to any particular
form of mOurds.
The fcitlia from these western mounds con.
sists Of distinct qualities. 0ne is fine. compact.
close grained kln. burned, paiated and tastefuly
ornsmented, moulded for breccia composed OF
clay, aud proved much skill. The other is coarse,
rude, of irregular thickness, sun dried, ornamen-
tative without taste, and composed Of clay and
small rhOmbOidal fragments of white ephatio car
Donate of lime, aud some OF simple clay. Some
of the finer quality occasionally shows polishing
or glazing, leaving minute strie, as il done with a
tuft of grass dipped into bdrbOte.
" In making some excavations on the plain,
short distance west of the large mound, dis
covered large quantities of pottery IN connection
with human remains. Some of them were rude
and quite heavy. One was clearly cnirary urn.
1.-The implements, ornaments, and weapons in
stone, indicate two clssses-One representing the
pdldcOtehic or undressed stone age the other the
neOtilsic or polished stone age, OF Sir John LuO.
book. some of the specimens Of the faer quail
~ are of exquisite skill and workmanship. They
are of porphyry, hornebiende. granite, serpen'
tine nephrite, and the hardest varieties Of am-
pbaboc rock.
lone of the most interesting classes is sgrisul.
tural. They are unlike any implements or utensils
in store. found in the Ohio valley, or any other
part of tie country. They were undoubtedly
used in tlliDg the soil One represents the modern
hoe, and our domestic implement Is but little i'm
pTOyement on that Of the mound builders. A
specimen before me is Of limpir quartz. of fault
less workp snship. Their smaller quartz weapons
are very fine, ranging from the common horn
stone up through all the varieties 70 the present
cbaloedODy. The celts or axes represent an eX-
teDsive class, and are of almost every style and
finish. Some are very large, weighing over ten
pounds. granite implementfar surpssses these
in size, ssme weighing over twenty i've pounds.
The Of this was probably to dress hides or
crush corn. Their mOrtars and pestles have been
r covered their pipes, discs and porphrytic ings
for games.
''The household goods, ldres and pepdtes Of a
people forever lost, among the contents of
mounds added to the fine collection of early art
which have made 10 this interesting region.
The ornaments with which they decorated
their persons. the weapons with which they fought,
the implements with which they slew their game,
and the vessels with which their domestic board
was served with viands. have all been recovered,
with a large number of miscellaneous articles 10
stone which constitute, with those from other an
tquarian localities. one of the most extensive and
valuable collections of early American art yet
made
One object sought 10 these researches ia to
make full collection of ancient art representing
the archaeology Of the northern division Of the
western continent"