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1 Ancient Vessel P.59

2 Ancient Urn P.59

Woodcode Dd.

Pub by C.Hulbert Shrewsbury

C.Jackson So.

ANTIQUITIES, &c.

PRIMEVAL Woods and forests, vast and rude,
Where reigns one deep, unbroken solitude!
Eternal oaks who've wider stretch'd their arms,
And deeper struck their roots, amidst the storins,
Beneath their aged trunks (whose fibres sleep
In earth's dark central caverns founded deep,)
Entombed in earth, and mighty waters lie,
Towers which invaded yonder lofty sky!
There the proud ruins of those days of yore,
Reveal in groans, Columbia's ancient power:
Strong forts repose beneath that fertile soil,
Which time has formed of Nature's mould'ring spoil.
Where the bright temple echoed songs divine,
The roots firm anchor of the stately pine;
Low in the halls where glittering monarchs sat,
Reign in their solemn gloom, the mole and bat!
Where flattering lords their honey'd venom spake,
Devours his prey, the deadly rattle-snake!
Hush! for what horrid stillness dwells on all,
Silent the holy fane,the mirthful hall.-
Silent, historic, truth and fable there,

Swept from the earth as though they never were!
Oblivion of thy treasures spare one view,
Spirits of olden time, inform the new.

Say, were ye Scythian tribes, whose wandering feet
Cross'd the cold north, a warmer clime to greet;
Or Canaan's exiled children whom the wave,
Bore from your conquer'd homes, to meet this grave;
Or Madog's vent'rous bands who fill'd the west,
Ere brave Columbus this far clime address'd:
Say were these ponderous walls like Egypt's towers,
Raised by a captive nation's fainting powers?
Had freedom's sinewy children bid them grow,
They had not fallen so soon, or sunk so low!
Sepulchr'd giants! slumbering sons of old,
No more your voices ring your domes of gold,
No more your pompous palaces remain,
But freedom builds her never dying fane;
Fade, thrones of tyrant kings, a nobler race
Erect their tents in your forsaken place!
Slaves! had ye known of freedom's charms one glance,
Oh, ye had burst your chains, and gain'd deliverance!

C. A. H.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ANTIQUITIES IN THE STATE OF OHIO.

UNITED STATES, NORTH AMERICA.

(From Kilbourn's Ohio Gazetteer, published at Columbus, U. S. 1819.)

THE most prominent antiquities are the numerous mounds and forts of earth, in the state of Ohio, as well as the western states generally, which are found interspersed throughout almost the whole extent of country, as far west and south-west of the Allegany monntains as the country is much known. The general direction in which these fortifications, as they are called, lie, is from north east to south west. The place where they commence, or at least, where they are very remarkable, is in the western part of the state of New York, near the southern shores of lake Ontario. From thence they extend in a south-westerly direction through the western states and territories, and terminate in Mexico.

Various have been the conjectures of the learned concerning the time when, by what people, and even for what purpose, these stupendous monuments of human ingenuity were erected. Their origin is so deeply involved in the obscurity of remote antiquity, without any light of history, or even authentic tradition, to conduct our enquiries concerning them to the desired result, that no certainty upon the subject will probably ever be attained. The writer will therefore only give an account of facts, or a mere statement of the present appearances of those antiquities; and even within these limits, he will confine himself chiefly to a description of those which have fallen within the limits of his own personal observation. It will likewise be unnecessary to describe, minutely, every individual mound and fortification; for, almost always, the same general plan and principle of their structure is discoverable in them all. Therefore, a particular description of a few will substantially be a description of the whole.

Some of the most remarkable forts and mounds in this state, are at Worthington, at Granville, in Athens, in Marietta, in Gallipolis, in Chillicothe, on Paint creek

18 miles north west from Chillicothe, on a plain 3 miles north east of Chillicothe, and at Circleville on the east bank of the Scioto river, about 60 miles in direct line from its mouth, and on the little Miami river. There are no fortifications, (or not any of much notoriety,) at any of these places, except at Granville, at Circleville, near Chillicothe, on Paint creek, and the little Miami; but, at these places, there are both mounds and forts.

Mounds of earth, of various sizes, are found interspersed over almost the whole face of the country; but the forts, as they are called, are not so numerous. The mounds vary, in magnitude, vastly from each other, and somewhat so in shape; some are of a conical figure, ending on the top in a point, and as steep on the sides as the earth could be made to lie; others are of the same form, except that they present a flat area on the top, like a cone cut off at some distance from its vertex, in a plane coincident with its base, or with the horizon. Others again are of a semiglobular shape. Of this latter description is that standing in Gallipolis. The largest one near Worthington is of the second kind, and presents, on the summit, a level area of 40 feet in diameter. There is one at Marietta of the same kind, but the circular area on the top does not exceed 20 feet in diameter. Its perpendicular height is about 50 feet; and is 20 rods in circumference at its base. Those in Worthington, and Gallipolis, are each from 15 to 20 rods in circumference, at their bases. There are a number of others of less magnitude, which have fallen within the limits of the writer's observation, particularly on the west side of the Hockhocking river in the township of Athens; on the south side of Shade river about 20 miles south of Athens; and in the French Grant about 60 rods north of the Ohio river, and opposite to the mouth of Little Sandy river, in Kentucky. At each of the two latter places, respectively, there are three several mounds within a few feet of each other. These are much smaller than those before described, and are each from 5 to 10 or 15 feet in perpendicular height, and proportionably large in circumference.

Many of these mounds are composed of earth of a different quality from that which is found in their imme

diate vicinity. This circumstance seems to indicate that the earth of which they were composed, was transported from some distance. A striking instance of this differ ence of composition was observed, a few years since, in a mound at Franklinton, near the main fork of the Scioto river. This mound was composed altogether of clay, of which the bricks for the court house, in that town, were made. In it were likewise found a much greater number of human bones, than have been discovered in almost any other of its size.

It is believed, from the best information which can be obtained upon the subject, that the largest of all the mounds which have yet been discovered, is the one adjoining Big Grave creek, near the Ohio river, 14 miles below Wheeling. This mound, according to the account given of it by an intelligent gentleman, who examined it personally, is about 33 rods in circumference, and consequently between 10 and 11 rods in diameter, in its base. Its perpendicular height is about 70 feet. On the summit is an area of nearly 60 feet in diameter. in the middle of which is a regular concavity, the cubical content of which is about 3000 feet. Within a short distance of this large one, are five small ones, some of which are thirty feet in diameter.

The epithet Grave has been applied to the creek which runs by the large mound, and to another called Little Grave creek, one mile north of the former, on account of the great number of these mounds which have been discovered in their vicinity: which mounds, both here and elsewhere, are pretty generally supposed to have been cemeteries for the dead. One principal reason for this supposition, is the circumstance of human bones having been discovered in most of those which have been examined. Most of those bones presently crumble in pieces or moulder into dust, shortly after being exposed to the air; except in some instances, wherein the teeth, jaw, scnll, and sometimes a few other bones, by their peculiar solidity, resist the above described effects of a contact with the air.

Among those places, where are the greatest number, and most prominent and entire of the earthen walls, which are commonly supposed to have been forts and