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present by several feet than it was forty years ago. This mound has been only imperfectly examined, and nothing found beyond a vessel or two made of clay and slightly burned. No bodies have yet been found in the mound or around it.

There are graves and a mound on my place, which have been carefully examined. The mound is near the middle of a valley, on the east side of Flynn's Creek, about one hundred and twenty yards from the stream. It is about forty yards in diameter and at the present time over 6 feet above the general surface of the land. Surrounding the base of this mound were placed loose, rough stones, forming a wall of 4 or 5 feet high. I have made excavations into this mound, and in different parts of it found that it is entirely filled in every part with graves just as close to one another as they could be placed. They are found at the present time from 18 inches to 2 feet below the surface, where there are no washings; this seems to be their usual depth. The graves are not confined to the mound, for the surrounding valley, containing fifty acres or more, is filled with them as close as they can be placed. These graves are generally in an east-and-west direction, and sometimes facing the southeast, and occasionally, where the rock interfered with the position, they are found without regard to direction, compactness seeming to have been the leading idea. A great many of these graves have been opened. They vary from 18 inches to 53 feet in length, and skulls, with the jaw-bones still fastened to them, have been found; also ribs and leg-bones; in short, all the solid bones of the human body, with little sign of decay.

The manner of burying seemed to be as follows: The graves vary in width from 10 to 18 inches; the coffins consist of slates, at the bottom of the grave, closely fitted together; then slate set upon the sides and at the ends, all of the same height, of about 15 or 18 inches. These slates are generally in their rough condition, and the bodies seem to have been deposited, and then one or two slates or other stones, smoothly dressed or polished, laid over them. The stones are closely fitted together where two are used, and, from the compactness, seem to have been united with cement. The lid rests on the upright stones, and generally projects over the sides 3 or 4 inches. When these graves are opened, they are found dry within, and generally contain some toys, consisting of small jugs, crocks, skillets, or other small vessels, made of clay, with the image of a man, eagle, or some other bird, evidently stamped on them while in a soft state. The vessels vary in size from the capacity of a pint to that of a gallon. They have been burned slightly, but in no case have any been found glazed. There is at this time one of these vessels or jugs, at T. L. Settle's, in Gainesborough. Some of them have legs and handles.

These graves were first discovered about fifty years ago, when the valley as well as the mound were covered with a dense forest, composed of trees of a large size. A violent storm blew over some of the large trees, upturning the roots, and thus uncovered the graves

Contiguous to what may be called the valley of graves, on the west side of Flynn's Creek, is a low bluff, in which is a hole large enough to take in at its mouth an ordinary-sized barrel. This hole is the entrance to a cave under the hill, which has been explored to the distance of about 300 feet. This cave is high enough to allow walking in it erect, is quite roomy, and perfectly dry. In it was found, in 1863, a chest or box, made of black-walnut plank 14 inches thick. It was about 2 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 16 inches deep, with a well-formed lid of the same wood. It was decayed on the outside with dry-rot to the depth of about 1 inch, and in some places the finger could be pushed through the wood; in other places the material was sound inside, and showed that the chest had been neatly dressed with a plane or some other tool, and lined with cloth or some fine, soft substance. In it were found wrapped up, in about three yards of large-checked gingham, a part of which was still sound, about twenty surgical instruments, consisting of a crooked knife, a crooked scissors, a lancet, and other articles of which I did not know the name. These instruments were not badly rusted, and in some places still quite bright; they were made of fine steel, finely polished, with handles of tortoise-shell. Dr. U. T. Brown, who has since died, took charge of them, and perhaps his family has some of them still.

On the hill, some 200 yards high, which joins this valley, is found a pile of loose, rough stones, 5 or 6 feet high. It has not been opened, and therefore no information is to be given as to its contents.

On the top of another hill, which joins the mound in P. M. Ray's field, about the same distance and height from the mound, is a similar pile of loose stones, which has not been examined.

ANTIQUITIES OF PERRY COUNTY, OHIO.

BY W. ANDERSON, OF BROWNSVILLE, OHIO.

I send to the Institution some specimens of antiquities from Perry County, Ohio. The mound from which they were obtained is 6 feet high, with a diameter of 25 feet. I found nothing until I reached the original surface of the ground, where there were ashes and charcoal. Two feet beneath these was the skeleton. The relics were deposited near its head. Around the neck was a string of beads of sea-shells. Near its right hand was found a plano-convex stone with holes in it. There were also a large number of arrow-heads and stone axes with and without grooves.

The skeleton was in a poor state of preservation. I saved a few bones. Around the skeleton was a quantity of ash-colored soil like that of decomposed bark. I send a specimen of each.

ANTIQUITIES OF CHARLES COUNTY, MARYLAND.

BY OLIVER N. BRYAN, of Marshall Hall, Maryland.

The following paper does not propose to be an entire summary of all the Indian relics in this county, but only to present a list in part of such as have been found upon my farm on the Potomac, opposite Mount Vernon, and of a few found upon the adjoining estates. What I propose is simply to give a glance at my own cabinet, which I have been accumulating for the last ten or twelve years, and at a few specimens I, from time to time, have sent to the Smithsonian Institution.

Some ten or twelve years ago I became interested in gathering up, as opportunity offered, the stone arrow-heads, axes, &c., that happened to lie in my path, scarcely without knowing why I did so. At that time. an interest in archæology had not developed itself in my mind, but now, with a taste somewhat cultivated in that direction, and more sharply eyed by practice, I take great pleasure in gathering up everything of the kind that falls under my observation bearing evidence that it can be referred to human ingenuity. I have become deeply interested in the subject, and earnestly desire to add my mite toward developing the history of the ancient people who lived upon the ground which I now call my own.

Among the articles I have gathered in my walks are axes, hoes, arrow and spear points, scrapers, and lances of stone and bone, wampum and pottery, pipes, needles with two holes, mortars, sinkers, hammers, chisels, paint-material, bones (human and brute) from Indian graves, and specimens from muscle-shell heaps. I have also found axes of greenish jasper, of various shapes and sizes, one of which I sent to the Smithsonian Institution; found about three miles from my house. It was double grooved and very long, and in respect to the extra groove was unlike any other that I ever saw. The arrow-points show a greater diversity of form and mineral than the axes or any other implement. I have them of quartz, jasper, agate, chalcedony, hornstone, flint, lydian-stone, and a very rough one of a granitic character. They vary in length from inch to 4 inches.

It is evident that the makers of arrows could not work the stone, by chipping, to any desired form, as is proved by the fact that no two points can be found exactly of the same shape and size in all respects. Compare two of the same length and material and you will find one more umbilicated than the other, bases differently notched, points not true with the base, and many other different phases, which plainly show that the character of the mineral controlled the makers at least in part. This is not, however, the case with axes, pestles, or other implements submitted to a rubbing or grinding process. The makers of these had evidently a mechanical eye as good, as far as their range extended, as that of the mechanic of the present day. Nearly all the rubbed implements

have their proportions wrought out, on both sides, as true to the design of the artist as could be done in our day upon such work.

Some of my arrow-heads have their points so crooked that one might fancy that they were intended to shoot around a corner. Besides arrowpoints with bases to fit to the shaft, I have many without the projecting base, from one to three inches long; others with flat and thin bases, said to be war-implements, and to be left in the wound; and some few almost triangular. These last are generally more perfect than the regularpointed.

The hatchets, so called, did not apparently answer the purpose of the modern instrument of the same name, and, so far as I can see, were never used by the Indian in that way. I have never seen one rubbed or worn, and this is true also of the axes. The latter were, in my opinion, used exclusively in war and in the chase.

Pottery seems to have been very extensively used among the ancient inhabitants of this region; some of very good quality, others very imperfect; some baked doubtless in nets, other as certainly without nets. I have one piece which, from its curvature, indicates a diameter of 17 inches, others from that down to 4 inches; none with ears or handles, but some with deflected rims. Some of the pottery has pounded chalcedony mixed with the clay of which it is composed; more, however, without it; another variety is worked out of soapstone or steatite. I have a number of pipes, one of clay, one of limestone, representing the human face and head in good style, and another of steatite showing a fox's head, a most capital representation. There are hammers in the collection, large and small, one weighing 8 pounds, 8 inches long, 6 inches broad, 2 inches thick.

Mortars are found on my farm. A broken corn-mill was sent from it a year or so ago; a medicine-mortar was also presented to the Institution. I have another, a paint-mortar, very unique, 4 inches long, and 2 broad, with a cavity on both sides (top and bottom) for the thumb and fingers to hold the article while the party is painting himself. The corn-mill was found three miles from my house. I think it singular that among the articles I have found on my farm there has not been a single corn-mill, although I have found a piece of a very large pestle. I have, however, two other very small mortars, which I suppose must have been for medicine or paint.

I have gathered since I commenced my collection, as stated above, everything that showed any trace of human art, consequently have quite a variety of unfinished pieces, some just begun, others more perfect, showing at once the implement to be formed. One piece, for instance, of yellow quartz, 10 inches long, 5 broad, 27 thick, weighs 6 pounds, intended to be a spear; another quartz piece, cimeter shape, 15 inches long, 3 inches broad, 2 inches thick, weighs 63 pounds, seems to be for a war-club, having a handle sufficiently developed for that purpose. There are also a variety of net-sinkers, very rough, of

cobble-stones; needles, one of stone, 1 inches long, inch wide, inch thick, with hole and notch in one end; another, of horn, 7 inches long, inch wide, very thin; a third, of bone, an inch long, of cylin drical form, constructed from the rib of some very small animal.

Wampum.-There are in my collection ten pieces of a bead, nine of shells, one of stone; another of shell, 4 inches long, inch thick. This last shows that the Indians must have had some communication with the ocean, as no shell now found in the river or bay would make such a bead. These wampum were taken from an Indian grave upon Piscataway Creek. There are doubtless graves in this neighborhood, but as yet I have not been able to find them. I heard, a few days ago, of some graves washed out, about fifteen miles below me, which I shall visit.

We have near my place several small "shell- heaps" of muscle-shells, Complinatus, nearly all weathered out, from which I have obtained specimens of pottery and bones of such animals as the ancient people ate. One remarkable bone was submitted to Professor Cope, which was pronounced by him to be the tarsus metatarsus of some large water-fowl, but I have examined all the skeletons of that class in the Smithsonian museum without finding anything like it. It might seem at first that the Indians here were driven from necessity to eat muscles, but from experiment I think otherwise. I have tried this mollusk, and find it, when well cooked, quite a savory dish, as good, to my taste, as common oysters.

We have also in this region and also in Saint Mary's the true oystershell heaps; one at Pope's Creek, covering thirty acres from one to six feet deep. Oyster-shell heaps abound upon the Wycomico River, and there are several in Saint Mary's County, upon the Potomac, the Wycomico, and Patuxent Rivers, and upon the bay. No ethnologist, so far as I know, has ever visited these localities. Although, near as they are to me, I have not yet visited them, intending to do so, I have been prevented by the constant recurring duties of the farm.

ANTIQUITIES OF STANLY AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA. BY F. J. KRON, of Albemarle, N. C.

I forward to the Institution, from Salisbury, N. C., by express, a small box containing some antiquities collected in this part of North Carolina, (the counties of Stanly and Montgomery,) on both sides of the river called Yadkin above and Pedee below the mouth of the Uharree River, on an area which, may be embraced at a glance from the accompanying sketch, rough to be sure, but the bearings and distances of which are very nearly true.

From the vestiges left here by the Indians it must have been a place much frequented by them. They have now all disappeared

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