Mr. Harris adopted from Clavigero his account of the emigration of the Toltecs, and to them ascribed the construction of all similar works, and maintained that the mural works had been surmounted by palisades, intended for protection in the gradual progress made by these people through the territories of less civilized tribes.

OPINIONS OF JAMES MADISON.

At the same time Mr. Harris was engaged in making his observations on one side of the Ohio river, on the other, James Madison, then episcopal bishop of Virginia, was likewise entertaining himself. The result of his observations he communicated in a letter which was read before the Philosophical Society, and subsequently appeared in one of its volumes. It appeared to Bishop Madison that such remains were too numerous and various in form, besides being too unfavorably situated to be regarded as places of defence; and their striking figures indicated one common origin and destination. He regarded the mounds as burial places.

ATWATER'S SURVEY.

At the request of the President of the American Antiquarian Society, and by him assisted with pecuniary means, Caleb Atwater undertook to prepare a comprehensive account of the antiquities of the Western States. This contribution was published by the society in 1820, and comprises 164 pages of Vol. I. of its Transactions. Seven pages are devoted to the Marietta works. The text is accompanied by a plan taken from a survey made by B. P. Putnam.

The contribution, with accompanying plates, was republished by the author, in 1833, together with his Tour to Prairie Du Chien, under the title of "Western Antiquities." A reduced plan of the work is given in Howe's "Historical Collections of Ohio." The account given by Atwater is drawn from descriptions written by Dr. Hildreth and Gen. Edward W. Tupper. He quotes in extenso from Harris's "Tour." He concludes his narrative in the following language:

"It is worthy of remark, that the walls and mounds were not thrown up from ditches, but raised by bringing the earth from a

distance, or taking it up uniformly from the plain; resembling in that respect, most of the ancient works at Licking, already described. It has excited some surprise that the tools have not been discovered here, with which these mounds were constructed. Those who have examined these ruins, seem not to have been aware, that with shovels made of wood, earth enough to have constructed these works might have been taken from the sur

) Small covered way. f) Pond or reservoir. g) Elevated oblong squares.

References: a) Parapets. b) Excavations. III. ANCIENT WORKS, AFTER B. T. PUTNAM.

c) Conical mounds. d) Large covered way. h) Elevated square.

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8

face, with as much ease, almost, as if they were made of iron. This will not be as well understood on the east as the west side of the Alleghanies; but those who are acquainted with the great depth and looseness of our vegetable mould, which lies on the surface of the earth, and of course, the ease with which it may be raised by wooden tools, will cease to be astonished at what would be an immense labor in what geologists cal! 'primitive' countries. Besides, had the people who raised these works, been in possession of, and used ever so many tools, manufactured from iron, by lying either on or under the earth, during that long period which has intervened between their authors and us, they would have long since oxydized by rusting, and left but faint traces of their existence behind them."

Under the genius of Atwater a highly creditable and authentic representation of the ancient structures and other objects of interest and curiosity was systematically connected. Some of the structures he believed to have been fortifications; others sacred enclosures, such as mounds of sacrifice, or sites of temples; other mounds were for burial, and some places were for diversion. The accuracy of the regular works, which enclose large areas, is adduced as proof of scientific ability, and that the gradual development of the works would indicate that the strain of migration was toward the south. The growth of generations of forest trees over the remains, and the changes in the courses and bends of the streams on whose banks the ancient works are located are given as evidence of antiquity.

OBSERVATIONS OF SAMUEL P. HILDRETH.

Dr. Hildreth's "Pioneer History of the Ohio Valley" and "Biographical and Historical Memories of the early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio," will long remain standard works. For upwards of forty years he was a constant contributor to scientific journals. While he published no book on western antiquities, yet he wrote fully on the works at Marietta, all the details of which were perfectly familiar to him, as well as all that had been written on the subject. He was very much interested in those at Marietta, besides being well informed on the general subject.

What he has written is worthy of candid consideration. In a letter sent to Caleb Atwater, and dated June 8, 1819 he says:

"Mr. Harris, in his 'Tour,' has given a tolerably good account of the present appearance of the works, as to height, shape and form. The principal excavation or well, is as much as sixty feet in diameter, at the surface; and when the settlement was first made, it was at least twenty feet deep. It is at present twelve or fourteen feet; but has been filled up a great deal from the washing of the sides by frequent rains. It was originally of the kind formed in the most early days, when the water was brought up by hand in pitchers, or other vessels, by steps formed in the sides of the well.

The pond, or reservoir, near the northwest corner of the large fort, was about twenty-five feet in diameter, and the sides. raised above the level of the adjoining surface by an embankment of earth three or four feet high. This was nearly full of water at the first settlement of the town, and remained so until the last winter, at all seasons of the year. When the ground was cleared near the well, a great many logs that laid nigh, were rolled into it, to save the trouble of piling and burning them. These, with the annual deposit of leaves, etc., for ages, had filled the well nearly full; but still the water rose to the surface, and had the appearance of a stagnant pool. In early times poles and rails have been pushed down into the water, and deposit of rotten vegetables, to the depth of thirty feet. Last winter the person who owns the well undertook to drain it, by cutting a ditch from the well into the small 'covert-way,' and he has dug to the depth of about twelve feet, and let the water off to that distance. He finds the sides of the reservoir not perpendicular, but projecting gradually towards the center of the well, in the form of an inverted cone. The bottom and sides, so far as he has examined, are lined with a stratum of very fine, ash colored clay, about eight or ten inches thick; below which, is the common soil of the place, and above it, this vast body of decayed vegetation. The proprietor calculates to take from it several hundred loads of excellent manure, and to continue to work at it, until he has satisfied his curiosity, as to the depth and contents of the well. If

it was actually a well, it probably contains many curious articles, which belonged to the ancient inhabitants.

On the outside of the parapet, near the oblong square, I picked up a considerable number of fragments of ancient potters' ware. This ware is ornamented with lines, some of them quite curious and ingenious, on the outside. It is composed of clay and fine gravel and has a partial glazing on the inside. It seems to have been burnt, and capable of holding liquids. The fragments, on breaking them, look quite black, with brilliant particles, appearing as you hold them to the light. The ware which I have 'seen, found near the rivers, is composed of shells and clay, and not near so hard as this found on the plain. It is a little curious, that of twenty or thirty pieces which I picked up, nearly all of them were found on the outside of the parapet, as if they had been thrown over the wall purposely. This is, in my mind, strong presumptive evidence, that the parapet was crowned with a palisade. The chance of finding them on the inside of the parapet, was equally good, as the earth had been recently ploughed, and planted with corn. Several pieces of copper have been found in and near to the ancient mounds, at various times. One piece, from the description I had of it, was in the form of a cup with low sides, the bottom very thick and strong. The small mounds in this neighborhood have been but slightly, if at all examined.

The avenues or places of ascent on the sides of the elevated squares are ten feet wide, instead of six, as stated by Mr. Harris. His description as to height and dimensions, are otherwise correct"*

In the "American Pioneer," for Oct. 1842, (Vol. I. p. 340), Dr. Hildreth has the following extended notice of the conical mound:

"The object of the present article is not to describe the whole of these works, but only the mound,' which beautiful structure is considered the pride and ornament of Marietta.

The venerable and worthy men, who were the directors of the Ohio company, and superintended the platting of the city of Marietta, viewing with admiration this beautiful specimen of the

* Archaeologia Americania, Vol. I, p 137, also Western Antiquitics, p. 39.