military fortifications, are Granville and Circleville, in this state, and the land bordering on the Great Kanhawa river in Virginia, towards its mouth, and from thence down the Ohio 10 or 12 miles; at the latter place, in particular, the country is very thickly bestrown with them. And among these is a mound of similar magnitude with the largest at Grave creek.

The fortifications throughout the western country generally, consist of a circular wall composed of earth, and usually, as steep, on the sides, as the dirt could conveniently be made to lie. Sometimes, though rarely, their form is elliptical or oval, and a few of them are square. Their height is almost infinitely various. Some of them are so low as to be scarcely perceptible: some are from 20 to 30 feet in perpendicular height; while others again are of an intermediate elevation. But the wall of the same fort, is pretty uniformly of the same height all around. They are likewise equally various in the contents of ground, which they enclose: some containing but a few perches of land; others again, containing nearly 100 acres. The number of their entrances or gate-ways, varies in different forts from one to eight or more, in proportion to the plan of construction, and magnitude of the enclosure. The walls are, mostly, single; but, in a few instances, the forts have been found consisting of two walls parallel, and adjacent to each other. As to their local situation, it may perhaps, suffice to observe that they are, generally, situated on a comparatively elevated site of ground, adjoining a river or stream of water. Some, even among the most learned men, have controverted the idea of their having been designed for forts; but a strong argument in favour of the idea is, that they seem in a majority of instances to have been constructed in such advantageous and commanding ground as skilful military positions: still, numbers of them seem to be erected, without any regard to the choice of situation, as it respects eligibility either for offence, or defence.

One of the most remarkable collections of these fortifications, is at Circleville, the chief town of Pickaway county. This town derives its name from the circumstance of being laid out within one of the old circular

forts, and with circular streets, corresponding with the external fortification. The town plat, however, includes the area of a square fort, adjoining the circular one on the east, besides two streets circumscribing nearly the whole.

The circular fort consists of two parallel walls, whose tops are, apparently, about three rods asunder; the inner one of which is forty seven rods in diameter. Between these two walls is a fosse, excavated sufficiently broad and deep; and not more than sufficiently so, to have afforded earth enough for the construction of the external wall alone. From this circumstance, among others, the earth composing the inner wall, is supposed to have been transported from a distance. Another particular, corroborating this supposition, is, there being a level foot way, of about four feet wide, left on the original surface of the ground, between the interior base of the inner wall. Although this circumstance is far from being conclusive upon the subject; yet, the following fact almost infallibly proves this conjecture to be well founded. This is, that the interior wall is composed of clay, of which the inhabitants manufacture brick; whereas, the exterior circle is composed of dirt and gravel of similar quality with that which composes the neighbouring ground.

There is but one original regular opening, or passage, into the circular fort; and that is in the east side from the square one. The latter has seven avenues leading into it, exclusively of that which communicates with the circle; there is one at every corner, and one on each side equidistant from the angular openings. These avenues are each 12 or 15 feet wide; and the walls, on either hand, rise immediately to their usual height; which is above 20 feet. The trees, which are growing upon these, and all the other forts and mounds throughout the country, are, apparently, of equal age and size, and those which are down are in equal stages of decay, with those, in like situations, in the surrounding forests. This circumstance, incontestibly proves the great antiquity of those stupendous remains of former labour and ingenuity.

ANCIENT WORKS IN PERRY COUNTY, OHIO. (From the Archæologia Americana, printed at Worcester, Massachusetts, U. S. 1820.)

SOUTHWARDLY from the great works on the Licking, four or five miles in a northwestern direction from Somerset, the seat of justice for Perry county, and on section twenty-one, township seven, range sixteen, is an ancient work of stone. In the centre is a stone mound. This stone mound is circular, and in the form of a sugar loaf, from twelve to fifteen feet in height. There is a smaller circular stone tumulus, standing in the wall, which encloses the work, and constitutes a part of it.

There is a large and high rock, lying in front of an opening in the outer wall. This opening is a passage between two large rocks, which lie in the wall, of from seven to ten feet in width. These rocks, on the outside, present a perpendicular front of ten feet in altitude, but after extending fifty yards into the enclosure, they enter the earth and disappear.

There is also a small work, whose area is half an acre; the walls are of earth, and of a few feet only in height. This large stone work contains within its walls forty acres and upwards. The walls, as they are called in popular language, consist of rude fragments of rocks, without any marks of any iron tool upon them. These stones lie in the utmost disorder, and if laid up in a regular wall, would make one seven feet or seven feet six inches in height, and from four to six feet in thickness. I do not believe this ever to have been a military work, either of defence or offence; but if a military work, it must have been a temporary camp. From the circumstance of this work's containing two stone tumuli, such as were used in ancient times, as altars and as monuments, for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of some great era, or important event in the history of those who raised them, I should rather suspect this to have been a sacred enclosure, or "high place," which was resorted to on some great anniversary. It is on high ground, and destitute of water, and of course, could not have been a place of habitation for any length of time. It might have

been the place, where some solemn feast was annually held by the tribe by which it was formed. The place has become a forest, and the soil is too poor to have ever been cultivated by a people who invariably chose to dwell on a fertile spot. These monuments of ancient manners, how simple and yet how sublime. Their authors were rude, and unacquainted with the use of letters, yet they raised monuments, calculated almost for endless duration, and speaking a language as expressive as the most studied inscriptions of latter times upon brass and marble. These monuments, their stated anniversaries and traditionary accounts, were their means of perpetuating the recollection of important transactions. Their authors are gone; their monuments remain; but the events, which they were intended to keep in the memory, are lost in oblivion.

ANCIENT TUMULI.

THE SAME.

(The following information is extracted from the Letter of Dr. Hildreth, to the President of the American An• tiquarian Society, dated Marietta, Nov. 3, 1819.)

THERE is another species of ancient works in this coun

try which deserves our notice. They are conical mounds, either of earth or stones, which were intended for many sacred and important purposes. In many parts of the world similar mounds were used as monu ments, sepulchres, altars, and temples.

The accounts of these works, found in the scriptures, show that their origin must be sought for among the Antideluvians. That they are very ancient, were used as places of sepulture, public resort and public worship, is proved by all the writers of ancient times, both sacred and profane. Homer frequently mentions them. He particularly describes the tumulus of Tytyus and the spot where it was. In memory of the illustrious dead, a sepulchral mound of earth was raised over their remains; which from that time forward became an altar, whereon to offer sacrifices, and around which, to exhibit games of athletic exercise. These offerings and games

were intended to propitiate their manes, to honour and perpetuate their memories.*

"In addition to the articles found at Marietta," says Dr. Hildreth, "I have procured, from a mound on the Little Muskingum, about four miles from Marietta, some pieces of copper, which appear to be the front of a helmet. It was originally about eight inches long and four broad, and has marks of having been attached to leather; it is much decayed, and is now quite a thin plate. A copper ornament in imitation of those described, and found in Marietta, was discovered with the plate, and appears to have been attached to the centre of it by a rivet, the hole for which remains both in the plate and ornament. At this place the remains of a skeleton were found. No part of it retained its form, but a portion of the forehead and skull, which lay under the plate of copper.

"The mound in which these relics were found, is about the magnitude of the one in Marietta, and has every appearance of being as ancient. I have in my possession some pieces of ancient potters' ware, found within the ancient works at Marietta. They are, some of them, neatly wrought, and composed of pounded flint stone and clay. They are yet quite solid and firm although they have lain for several years, exposed to rain and frost, on the furface of the ground.

"We often find pieces of broken ware, near the banks of the river, and in the bottoms; but they are composed of clay and pounded clam shells; are much less compact and firm, and do not appear to have been burnt They are evidently of the same composition with those made by the modern Indians.

"Some time in the course of this month, we propose opening several mounds in this place; and if any thing is discovered, which will throw light on the subject of

* Alexander the Great paid great honours when at Ilion, to the manes of Achilles, and caused games te be celebrated round his tomb.-ED.

+ Vessels are found in some instances equal to any now manufactured in any part of the world.

D