Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-04-19
Farm and FIreSlde.
.r.uRnICs.v .r.v1IQUIr1Es.

world In its habitation and civilization, at
least as compared with any portion of Eu-
rope. and n study of the works of Squier,
and the contributions to our earlier history
will 90 far to make distinct the impression.
The proof that the Indian tribes of North
America, which we have been used to con-
slider the aboriginal rae es, were the success
ors of a people far above them in civiliza-
ton, is full and unmstakable. The evil
dence is patent 10 the miners of northern
Michigan to the explorers OF the Ohio
mounds, and to the careful observer OF the
works yet left, if not intact, at least unam-
biguous in their teachings all through the
valley of the Mississippi and in the wilds of
Florida. We can only point out the salient
features of this wide field of exploration,
and direct attention to few Of the results
attained. And, first, let it be observed
that the Indians who inhabited this coun-
try. upon its discovery, and so many of
whom yet remain in precisely the same
state of barbarism as then, neither builded
the mounds TO which reference will he
made nor have any traditions in regard to
them; they have and had no copper tools;
migratory in their nature, they erected no
Notifications, rude or otherwise of the
same character, and the remains, or ancient
monuments, which dot the valley of the
Mississippi are to be referred unquestion-
ably to prior and extinct people.
This more civilized race has left a sys-
TEN of earth works. designed for defense,
worship and seputure, intricate and ex-
tended. The age of these earth works is, of
course, in q great degree conjectural; some
idea, however, of their antiquity is gained
from the articles within them, and from
the fact that upon them trees now exist
having six or seven hundred rings of an
nual growth, with others of great size
decaying in the mold beneath them, so that
their aband cnmcnt must have been, at
least more than Il thousand years ago, pos
sibly several thousand years. The places
selected always possess peculiar adoption
to the purpose designed, and the approach
es are fortified with great skill. Says Mr.,
Squier, in Antiquities of New York and
the West, they are guarded by double
overlapping walls, or a series Of them hav-
ing sometimes an accompanying mound,
designed perhaps as "lookout," and cor
TtSllOIulHB 10 inc DdIDlNuH, III lilt IIlllSl
system of defense, of the middle ages. The
banks of the western rivers are usually
often inaccessible, and these works are
built upon their most difficult points. Sue
ce,Sivc terraces are frequently found
by the rivers sitting of its channel. The
formation OF each terrace constitutes Il sort
Of scmi-geological era in the history of the
NuIlaV and tIa E,.t Iat of I'll.
occur upon the lowest or latest formed Of
these, while they are found indiscrimin-
aely upon all the Others bears directly
upon the question Of their antiquity. In
the vicinity Of Chilicothe, Ohio, is fortif-
ed hill containing within its walls an erea of
$40 acres, and others approach this in ex-
tent. or these mounds Ohio alone con-
tans ten thousand besides as many or
more Enclosures, some of them containing
five or six hundred acres. The mounds
are from a small size to that at Cahokia, in
Illinois, which is nearly one hundred feet
in height, and half mile in circumference
at the base, with level summit of several
acres.
Such results, as is well said, can only
have been achieved by dense population
organized into a firm government, and pre-
sided over by despotic ruler; some such
political system, in short, as in Egypt pro-
duced the pyramids, and in Mexico and
Peru, their many massive works. These
mounds are composed principally of earth,
though stone, in large quantities, is often
introduced, and many mounds are COM
posed entirely of stone. The great stone
mound about eight miles south of Newark.
Ohio, was composed of stones in their nat
ural shape built up without cement, to the
height Of from forty to fifty feet, upon a
circular base of 1872 feet in diameter. This
was surrounded by low fosse and para
pet of an ornate form, with a gateway n
the east end. In n mall mound at the has,
of this was found human bones, copper
rings and breast plate, and a stone box in
closing an engraved tablet in unknown
characters a skeleton in a trough, formed
by following log, which trough showed
AK marks of a sharper cut than could hav,
been produced by stone ak disclosing
an era prior to the existence of the Indian
race. In the great mound at Grave Creek
Virginia, was found a vaulted sepulchra
chamber four yards long by two and hal
yards wide. 1t was composed Of ston
wall, nearly four feet thick and cOntaine,
two skeletons, one being of woman al
most reduced TO dust. There was foun,
many ornaments, among them necklace
of pearl. In another grave, is feet abov
the last, was found a skeleton, she'll beads
leather-b bracelets and 100 mica plates, and
most curious alphabetical inscription com
posed of % characters, in three lines, witt
a cross and mark engraved on hard ston
of elliptlcal shape, about two and one-hal
inches wide, and about five lines thick.
In the inter caves of Kentucky are fount
great numbers of mummies, preserved b.
the air of these caves, as there IL no evi
dence of preparation. These are ioun'
wrapped in four successive coverings, tn
interior consisting Of a stuff woven of fin
cord, peculiarly twisted, and of large featli
ers, which are arranged with great arr
The second covering is composed of tn
woven cord without feathers, and the tw
outer ones of deer-skins.
The Enclosures were probably in som
way connected with the religious ideas q
this lost people. The circles are usual
small, ranging from $50 to 800 feet in diam
eter, though some have a circuit of NOR