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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/17987-h.zip b/17987-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..77eee0b --- /dev/null +++ b/17987-h.zip diff --git a/17987-h/17987-h.htm b/17987-h/17987-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f35851c --- /dev/null +++ b/17987-h/17987-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1375 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Mound Builders, by George Bryce</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 75%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mound Builders, by George Bryce</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: The Mound Builders</p> +<p>Author: George Bryce</p> +<p>Release Date: March 15, 2006 [eBook #17987]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOUND BUILDERS***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto, Diane Monico,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net/">http://www.pgdp.net/</a>)<br /> + from page images generously made available by<br /> + Early Canadiana Online<br /> + (<a href="http://www.canadiana.org/eco/index.html">http://www.canadiana.org/eco/index.html</a>)</h3> +<p> </p> +<table border="0" cellpadding="10" style="background-color: #ccccff;"> + <tr> + <td valign="top"> + Note: + </td> + <td> + Images of the original pages are available through + Early Canadiana Online. See + <a href="http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/ItemRecord/30053?id=b37d48db075711d0"> + http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/ItemRecord/30053?id=b37d48db075711d0</a> + </td> + </tr> +</table> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2>THE</h2> +<h1>Mound Builders.</h1> + + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;"> +<img src="images/image001.jpg" width="404" height="414" alt="(Cup found in Mound at Rainy River, Aug 22nd, 1884.)" title="(Cup found in Mound at Rainy River, Aug 22nd, 1884.)" /> +<span class="caption">(Cup found in Mound at Rainy River, Aug 22nd, 1884.)</span> +</p> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2><span class="smcap">GEORGE BRYCE, M.A., L.L.D.</span></h2> + +<p class="center"><b>Professor in Manitoba College and President of the +Historical Society, Winnipeg.</b></p> + +<h3>PRICE, 25 CENTS.</h3> + +<p class="center">(<i>Season 1884-85, Transaction 18</i>.)</p> + +<p class="center"><small>(HISTORICAL SOCIETY.)</small></p> + +<p class="center"><small>Manitoba Free Press Print, Winnipeg.</small></p> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +<h1><span class="smcap">The Mound Builders.</span></h1> + +<h2>A Lost Race Described by Dr. Bryce, President of the Historical Society.</h2> + +<h3>SEASON 1884-85</h3> + + +<p>Ours are the only mounds making up a distinct mound-region +on Canadian soil. This comes to us as a part of the large inheritance +which we who have migrated to Manitoba receive. No +longer cribbed, cabined, and confined, we have in this our "greater +Canada" a far wider range of study than in the fringe along +the Canadian lakes. Think of a thousand miles of prairie! The +enthusiastic Scotsman was wont to despise our level Ontario, because +it had no Grampians, but the mountains of Scotland all +piled together would reach but to the foot hills of our Rockies. +The Ontario geologist can only study the rocks in garden plots, +while the Nor'wester revels in the age of reptiles in his hundreds +of miles of Cretaceous rocks, with the largest coal and iron area +on the continent. As with our topography so with history. +The career of the Hudson's Bay Company, which is in fact the +history of Rupert's Land, began 120 years before the history of +Ontario, and there were forts of the two rival Fur Companies on +the Saskatchewan and throughout the country, before the first +U. E. Loyalist felled a forest tree in Upper Canada. We are especially +fortunate in being the possessors also of a field for archaeological +study in the portion of the area occupied by the mound +builders—the lost race, whose fate has a strange fascination for +all who enquire into the condition of Ancient America.</p> + +<p>The Indian guide points out these mounds to the student of +history with a feeling of awe; he says he knows nothing of them; +his fathers have told him that the builders of the mounds were +of a different race from them—that the mounds are memorials of a +vanished people—the "Ke-te-anish-i-na-be," or "very ancient +men." The oldest Hudson's Bay officer, and the most intelligent +of the native people, born in the country, can only give some +vague story of their connection with a race who perished with +small-pox, but who, or whence, or of what degree of civilization +they were, no clue is left.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> + +<p>It must be said moreover that a perusal of the works written +about the mounds, especially of the very large contributions to the +subject found in the Smithsonian Institution publications, leaves +the mind of the reader in a state of thorough confusion and uncertainty. +Indeed, the facts relating to the Mound Builders are +as perplexing a problem as the purpose of the Pyramids, or the +story of King Arthur.</p> + +<p>Is it any wonder that we hover about the dark mystery, +and find in our researches room for absorbing study, even though +we cannot reach absolute certainty? Could you have seen the +excitement which prevailed among the half-dozen settlers, I had +employed in digging the mound on Rainy River, in August last, +when the perfect pottery cup figured below was found, and the +wild enthusiasm with which they prosecuted their further work, +you would have said it requires no previous training, but simply +a successful discovery or two to make any one a zealous mound +explorer.</p> + +<h4>A MOUND DESCRIBED.</h4> + +<p>A mound of the kind found in our region is a very much +flattened cone, or round-topped hillock of earth. It is built usually, +if not invariably where the soil is soft and easily dug, and it +is generally possible to trace in its neighborhood the depression +whence the mound material has been taken. The mounds are as +a rule found in the midst of a fertile section of country, and it is +pretty certain from this that the mound builders were agriculturists, +and chose their dwelling places with their occupation in +view, where the mounds are found. The mounds are found +accordingly on the banks of the Rainy River and Red River, and +their affluents in the Northwest, in other words upon our best +land stretches, but not so far as observed around the Lake of the +Woods, or in barren regions. Near fishing grounds they greatly +abound. What seem to have been strategic points upon the river +were selected for their sites. The promontory giving a view and +so commanding a considerable stretch of river, the point at the +junction of two rivers, or the debouchure of a river into a lake or +vice versa is a favorite spot. At the Long Sault on Rainy River +there are three or four mounds grouped together along a ridge. +Here some persons of strong imagination profess to see remains +of an ancient fortification, but to my mind this is mere fancy. +Mounds in our region vary from 6 to 50 feet in height, and from +60 to 130 feet in diameter. Some are circular at the base, others +are elliptical.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> + +<h4>MOUND REGIONS.</h4> + +<p>The mounds have long been known as occurring in Central +America, in Mexico, and along the whole extent of the Mississippi +valley from the Gulf of Mexico to the great lakes. Our Northwest +has, however, been neglected in the accounts of the mound-bearing +region. Along our Red River I can count some six or eight +mounds that have been noted in late years, and from the banks having +been peopled and cultivated I have little doubt that others +have been obliterated. One formerly stood on the site of the new +unfinished Canadian Pacific Hotel in this city. The larger number +of those known are in the neighborhood of the rapids, 16 or +18 miles below Winnipeg where the fishing is good. In 1879 the +Historical Society opened one of these, and obtained a considerable +quantity of remains. It is reported that there are mounds +also on Nettley Creek, a tributary of the lower Red River, also on +Lake Manitoba and some of its affluents. During the past summer +it was my good fortune to visit the Rainy River, which lies +some half way of the distance from Winnipeg to Lake Superior. +In that delightful stretch of country, extending for 90 miles +along the river there are no less than 21 mounds. These I +identify with the mounds of Red River. The communication between +Red and Rainy River is effected by ascending the Red +Lake River, and coming by portage to a river running from the +south into Rainy River. Both Red and Rainy River easily connect +with the head waters of the Mississippi. Our region then +may be regarded as a self-contained district including the most +northerly settlements of the strange race who built the mounds. +I shall try to connect them with other branches of the same stock, +lying further to the east and south. For convenience I shall speak +of the extinct people who inhabited our special region as the +<i>Takawgamis</i>, or farthest north mound builders.</p> + +<h4>MOUND VARIETIES.</h4> + +<p>The thirty or forty mounds discovered up to this time in +this region of the Takawgamis have, so far as examined, a uniform +structure. Where stone could be obtained there is found below +the surface of the ground a triple layer of flat limestone blocks, +placed in an imbricated manner over the remains interred. In +one mound, at the point where the Rainy Lake enters the Rainy +River, there is a mound situated on the property of Mr. Pither, +Indian agent, in which there was found on excavation, a structure +of logs some 10 feet square, and from six to eight feet high. +In all the others yet opened the structure has been simply of earth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> +of various kinds heaped together. It is possible that the mound +containing the log erection may have been for sacrifice, for the +logs are found to have been charred. One purpose of all the +mounds of the Takawgamis was evidently sepulture; and in them +all, charcoal lumps, calcined bones and other evidences of fire are +found. It would seem from their position that all the mounds of +this region were for the purpose of observation as well as sepulture. +The two purposes in no way antagonize. For the better +understanding of the whole I have selected the largest mound of +the Takawgamis yet discovered, and will describe it more minutely.</p> + +<h4>THE GRAND MOUND.</h4> + +<p>It is situated on the Rainy River, about 20 miles from the +head of Rainy River. It stands on a point of land where the +Missachappa or Bowstring River and the Rainy River join. +There is a dense forest covering the river bank where the mound +is found. The owner of the land has made a small clearing, +which now shows the mound to some extent to one standing on +the deck of a steamer passing on the river. The distance back +from the water's edge is about 50 yards. The mound strikes you +with great surprise as your eye first catches it. Its crest is +covered with lofty trees, which overtop the surrounding forest. +These thriving trees, elm, soft maple, basswood and poplar, 60 +or 70 feet high now thrust their root tendrils deep into the aforetime +softened mould. A foot or more of a mass of decayed leaves +and other vegetable matter encases the mound. The brushy surface +of the mound has been cleared by the owner, and the thicket +formerly upon it removed. The circumference of one fine poplar +was found to be 4 feet 10 inches; of another tree, 5 feet 6 inches, +but the largest had lately fallen. Around the stump the +last measured seven feet. The mound is eliptical at the +base. The longest diameter, that is from east to west, the +same direction as the course of the river, is 117 feet. The corresponding +shorter diameter from north to south is 90 feet. The +circumference of the mound is consequently 325 feet. The +highest point of the mound is 45 feet above the surrounding level +of the earth. As to height the mound does not compare unfavorably +with the celebrated mound at Miamisburg, Ohio, known +as one of the class of "observation mounds," which is 68 feet +high and 852 feet around the base. In addition to its purpose of +sepulture, everything goes to show that the "Grand Mound" of +Rainy River was for observation as well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<h4>THE EXCAVATION.</h4> + +<p>Two former attempts had been made to open this mound. +One of these had been made in the top, and the large skull before +you was then obtained. A more extensive effort was that +made in 1883, by Mr. E. McColl, Indian agent, Mr. Crowe, H. B. +Co. officer of Fort Frances, and a party of men. Their plan was +to run a tunnel from north to south through the base of the +mound. They had penetrated some ten or fifteen feet, found +some articles of interest, and had then given up the undertaking. +Having employed a number of men, settlers in the neighborhood, +I determined to continue the tunnel for a certain distance through +the mound, all the way if indications were favorable, and then to +pierce the mound from the top. The men in two parties went +industriously to work on the opposite sides, working toward each +other, making a tunnel about eight feet in diameter. The earth +though originally soft soil had become so hard that it was necessary +to use a pick axe to loosen it for the spade. A number of +skeletons were found on the south side, but all I should say within +ten feet from the original surface of the mound. As we penetrated +the interior fewer remains were continually found. The +earth gave many indications of having been burnt. At one point +the pick-axe sank ten inches into the hard wall. This was about +fifteen feet from the outside. The excavator then dug out with +his hand from a horizontal pocket in the earth eight or ten inches +wide and eighteen or twenty inches deep, a quantity of soft brown +dust, and a piece of bone some four inches long, a part of a human +forearm bone. This pocket was plainly the original resting place +of a skeleton, probably in a sitting posture. As deeper penetration +was made brown earthy spots without a trace of bone remaining +were come upon. The excavation on the south side was +continued for thirty feet into the mound, but at this stage it was +evident that bones, pottery, etc., had been so long interred that +they were reduced to dust. No hope seemed to remain now of +finding objects of interest in this direction, and so with about +forty feet yet wanting to complete, the tunnel, the search was +transferred to the top of the mound.</p> + +<h4>THE UPPER CUT.</h4> + +<p>Beginning on the crest of the mound, the mould was removed +over a considerable space, and though some trouble was +found from the presence of the roots of the growing trees, yet +three or four feet from the surface human bones and skeletons +began to occur. In some cases a complete skeleton was found,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +in other cases what seemed to be a circle of skulls, buried alongside +charred bones, fragments of pottery and other articles. +Several different excavations were made on the mound surface, +and it was found that every part from the base to the crest contained +bones and skeletons, to the depth of from six to ten feet +as already said; bones and articles of interest were found thus far; +deeper than this nothing. I shall now describe the articles found +in this mound, and refer in some cases to what has been found +in the other mounds of the Takawgamis.</p> + +<h4>NATURAL PRODUCTS.</h4> + +<p>1. <i>Bones</i>. Of the bones found, the skulls were the most +interesting. In some cases it would seem as if they alone of the +bones had been carried from a distance, perhaps from a distant +part of the mound builders' territory, from a battle field or some +other spot. In some cases this was proved, by the presence in the +eye-sockets and cavities of clay of a different kind from that of +the mound, showing a previous interment. The mound was +plainly a sacred spot of the family or sept. Before you are pieces +of charred bone. Of the bones unburnt some were of large size. +There are before us two skulls, one from the grand mound, the +other from the Red River mound opened by the Society in 1879. +The following are the measurements of the two skulls which I +have made carefully; and alongside the average measurements of +the Brachycephalic type given by Dr. Daniel Wilson, as well as of +the Dolichocephalic:</p> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" summary="skulls"> +<tr><td align='left'></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap"> Average<br /> Dolicho-<br /> cephalic. </span></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap"> Rainy<br /> River<br /> Skull. </span></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap"> Red<br /> River<br /> Skull. </span></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Average<br />Brachy-<br />cephalic.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Longitudinal diameter</td><td align='center'>7.24</td><td align='right'>7.3 in. </td><td align='center'>6.7</td><td align='center'>6.62</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Parietal diameter</td><td align='center'>5.47</td><td align='center'>5.8</td><td align='center'>5.5</td><td align='center'>5.45</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Vertical "</td><td align='center'>5.42</td><td align='center'>6.2</td><td align='center'>5.8</td><td align='center'>5.30</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Frontal "</td><td align='center'>4.36</td><td align='center'>4.2</td><td align='center'>3.7</td><td align='center'>4.24</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Intermastoid Arch</td><td align='center'>14.67 </td><td align='center'>15.3 </td><td align='center'>15.6 </td><td align='center'>14.63 </td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Intermastoid line</td><td align='center'>4.23</td><td align='center'>5.8</td><td align='center'>4.3</td><td align='center'>4.25</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Occipito frontal Arch</td><td align='center'>14.62 </td><td align='center'>17.0 </td><td align='center'>13.8 </td><td align='center'>13.85 </td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Horizontal circumference </td><td align='center'>20.29 </td><td align='center'>22.3 </td><td align='center'>19.6 </td><td align='center'>19.44 </td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>From this it will be seen that the Red River mound skulls +agree with the Toltecan Brachycephalic type; and the Rainy +River skull while not so distinctly Brachycephalic yet is considerably +above the average of the Dolichocephalic type.</p> + +<p>2. <i>Wood</i>. As already stated it is only in some of the mounds +that charred wood is found. This specimen is from the mound<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +at Contcheteheng, at the head of Rainy River. It stands beside +the Rapids. This mound has supplied many interesting remains. +From this fact as well as from its situation, I would hazard the +opinion that here, as at the great Rainy River Falls, three miles +farther down, there were villages in the old mound building days. +It is a fact worthy of notice that the site of the first French Fort +on Rainy River, St. Pierre built by Verandrye in 1731, was a few +hundred yards from this mound.</p> + +<p>3. <i>Bark</i>. Specimens of birch bark were found near by the +bones. It was no doubt originally used for swathing or wrapping +the corpses buried. That a soft decayable substance such as +bark, should have lasted while a number of bones had decayed +may seem strange. No doubt this may be explained in the same +way as the presence among the remains in Hochelaga, on the +Island of Montreal, of preserved fragments of maize, viz., by its +having been scorched. The pieces of bark seem to have been +hardened by scorching.</p> + +<p>4. <i>Earth</i>. The main earth of the mound is plainly the same +as that of the soil surrounding it. By what means the earth was +piled up, is a question for speculation. It seems a matter of +small moment. Possibly that the earth was carried in baskets, or +vessels of considerable size is sufficient to account for it. My +theory is that the mound was not erected by a vast company of +busy workers as were the pyramids, but that it was begun at +first for purposes of observation, that as interments were from time +to time made in it sufficient earth was carried up to effect the +purpose, until in centuries the enormous aggregate of earth was +formed. Among the earth of the mound are also found in spots, +quantities of red and yellow ochre. The fact that the skulls and +bones seem often to have a reddish tinge, goes to show that the +ochre was used for the purpose of ornamentation. Sometimes a +skull is drawn out of the firm cast made by it in the earth, and +the cast is seen to be reddened by the ochre which was probably +smeared over the face of the slain warrior. The ochre is entirely +foreign to the earth of which the mound is made, but being earthy +remains long after even pottery has gone to decay.</p> + +<p>5. <i>Ore</i>. Lying near this skull as if they had been placed in +the hands of the corpse were two pieces of metallic ore, one of +which is before you. A fresh section of it shows it to be +Arsenical Iron Pyrites, each piece weighing four or five ounces. +No doubt the shining ore and its heavy weight attracted notice,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +although it is of no commercial value. The probabilities are that +this ore was regarded as sacred, and possibly having been considered +valuable was placed beside the corpse as the ancient +obolus was laid beside the departed Greek to pay his fare to +crusty Charon.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 487px;"> +<img src="images/image002.jpg" width="487" height="591" alt="Figure 1. Mound Builders' Implements." title="Figure 1. Mound Builders' Implements." /> +<span class="caption">Figure 1. Mound Builders' Implements.<br /><br /></span> +</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> +<h4>MANUFACTURED ARTICLES.</h4> + +<p>1. <i>Stone Implements</i>. The stone articles found, no doubt form +a very small proportion of the implements used by the lost race. +I am able to show you three classes of implements.</p> + +<p>(<i>a</i>.) <i>Scrapers</i>. (See <span class="smcap">c</span>. Figure 1.) These were made after the +same manner and from the same material as the flint arrow heads, +found so commonly all over this continent. They are usually of +an oval or elongated diamond shape, of various thicknesses, but +thin at the edges. Their purpose seems to have been to assist in +skinning the game, the larger for larger game, the smaller for +rabbits and the smaller fur bearing animals. Probably these implements +were also used for scraping the hides or skins manufactured +into useful articles.</p> + +<p>(<i>b</i>.) <i>Stone Axes and Malls</i>. In the mound on Red River +was found the beautiful axe of crystalline limestone, which approaches +marble. From the absence of stone so far as we know +of this kind in this neighborhood, it is safe to conclude that it +<a name="came" id="came"></a>came from a distant locality. There are also gray stone celts and +hammers used for crushing corn, for hammering wood and bark +for the canoes, and other such like purposes, in time of peace; and +serving as formidable weapons in time of war. In the mound on +the Red River a skull was discovered having a deep depression +in the broken wall, as if crushed in by one of these <a name="implements" id="implements"></a>implements.</p> + +<p>(<i>c</i>.) <i>Stone Tubes</i>. (See <span class="smcap">b</span> Fig. 1.) These are among the +most difficult of all the mound-builders' remains to give +an opinion upon. They are chiefly made of a soft stone +something like the pipestone used by the present Indians which +approaches soapstone. The hollow tubes (see figure B.) vary +from three to six inches in length, and are about one-half an inch +in diameter. They seem to have been bored out by some sharp +instrument. Schoolcraft, certainly a competent Indian authority +states that these tubes were employed for astronomical purposes, +that is to look at the stars. This is unlikely; for though the +race, with which I shall try to identify our mound builders are +said, in regions further south, to have left remains showing astronomical +knowledge, yet a more reasonable purpose is suggested +for the tubes. From the teeth marks around the rim, the tubes +were plainly used in the mouth, and it is becoming generally +agreed that they were conjuror's cupping instruments for sucking +out as the medicine men pretended to be able to do the disease +from the body. The custom survives in some of the present <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>Indian +tribes. A lady friend of mine informs me that she has a +bone whistle taken from a mound in the Red River district.</p> + +<p>2. <i>Horn Implements</i>. (See <span class="smcap">d</span>. Figure 1.) The only implement +of this class that we have yet found is the fish spear head +(Fig. D.). It was probably made from the antlers of a deer +killed in the chase. Its barbed edge indicates that it was used +for spearing fish. It is in a fair state of preservation.</p> + +<p>3. <i>Copper</i>. No discovery of the mounds so fills the mind of +the Archaeologist with joy as that of copper implements. Copper +mining has now by the discovery in the Lake Superior region, of +mining shafts long deserted, in which copper was quarried by +stone hammers on a large scale, been shown to have been pursued +in very ancient times on this continent. It is of intense interest +for us to know that not only are there mines found on the south +side of Lake Superior, but also at Isle Royale, on the north +side just at the opening of Thunder Bay, and immediately contiguous +to the Grand Portage, where the canoe route to Rainy +River, so late as our own century, started from Lake Superior. +According to the American Geologists the traces for a mile are +found of an old copper mine on this Island. One of the pits +opened showed that the excavation had been made in the solid +rock to the depth of nine feet, the walls being perfectly smooth. +A vein of native copper eighteen inches thick was discovered at +the bottom. Here is found also, unless I am much mistaken, the +mining location whence the Takawgamis of Rainy River obtained +their copper implements. Two copper implements are in our +possession, one found by Mr. E. McColl in the grand mound, and +the other by Mr. Alexander Baker in a small mound adjoining +this.</p> + +<p>(<i>a</i>.) <i>Copper Needle or Drill</i>. (See <span class="smcap">a</span>. Fig. 1.) This was +plainly used for some piercing or boring purpose. It is hard, +yields with difficulty to the knife, and is considered by some to +have been tempered. It may have been for drilling out soft +stone implements, or was probably used for piercing as a needle +soft fabrics of bark and the like, which were being sewed +together.</p> + +<p>(<i>b</i>.) <i>Copper Cutting Knife</i>. (See <span class="smcap">e</span>. Fig. 1.) This, has evidently +been fastened into a wooden handle. It may have been +used for cutting leather, being in the shape of a saddler's knife, +or was perhaps more suited for scraping the hides and skins of +animals being prepared for use.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> + +<p>Some twenty miles above the mound on the Rainy River at +Fort Frances a copper chisel buried in the earth was found by +Mr. Pither, then H. B. Company agent, and was given by him to +the late Governor McTavish. The chisel was ten inches long, was +well tempered, and was a good cutting instrument. Another +copper implement is in the possession of our Society, which was +found buried in the earth 100 miles west of Red River.</p> + +<p>All these, I take it, were made from copper obtained from +Isle Royale on Lake Superior.</p> + +<p>4. <i>Shell Ornaments</i>. Traces are found in the mound, of the +fact that the decorative taste, no doubt developed in all ages, and +in all climes, was possessed by the Takawgamis.</p> + +<p>(<i>a</i>.) <i>Sea Shells</i>. Important as pointing to the home and +trading centres of the mound builders is the presence among the +debris of the mound, of sea shells. We have three specimens +found in the grand mound. Two of them seem to belong to the +genus Natica, the other to Marginella. They have all been cut +or ground down on the side of the opening of the shell, so that +two holes permit the passage of a string, by which the beads thus +made are strung together. The fact that the genera to which +the shells belong are found in the sea, as well as their highly +polished surface show these to be marine; and not only so but +from the tropical seas, either we suppose from the Gulf of Mexico +or from the Californian coast.</p> + +<p>(<i>b</i>.) <i>Fresh Water Shells</i>. In all the mounds yet opened, examples +of the Unio, or River Mussel, commonly known as the +clam have been found. They are usually polished, cut into +symmetrical shapes, and have holes bored in them. We have one +which was no doubt used as a breast ornament, and was hung by +a string around the neck. In the bottom of a nearly complete +pottery cup, found in the grand mound, which went to pieces as +we took it out, there was lying a polished clam shell. The clam +still abounds on Rainy River. Six miles above the mound, we saw +gathered together by an industrious housewife hundreds of the +same species of clam, whose shells she was in the habit of pulverizing +for the benefit of her poultry.</p> + +<p>5. <i>Pottery</i>. (<i>a</i>.) <i>Broken</i>. It seems to be a feature of every +mound that has been opened that fragments of pottery have been +unearthed. The Society has in its possession remains of twenty +or thirty pottery vessels. They are shown to be portions of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>different +pots, by their variety of marking. The pottery is of a +coarse sort, seemingly made by hand and not upon a wheel, and +then baked. The markings were made upon the soft clay, evidently +with a sharp instrument, or sometimes with the finger +nail. Some pieces are found hard and well preserved; others are +rapidly disintegrating. As stated already, in the grand mound, +a vessel some five inches in diameter was dug up by one of the +workers, filled with earth, which though we tried earnestly to +save it, yet went to pieces in our hands. The frequency with +which fragments of pottery are found in the mounds has given +rise to the theory that being used at the time of the funeral +rites the vessel was dashed to pieces as was done by some ancient +nations in the burial of the dead. This theory is made very +doubtful indeed by the discovery of the</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 404px;"> +<img src="images/image001.jpg" width="404" height="414" alt="Figure 2." title="Figure 2." /> +<span class="caption">Figure 2.</span> +</p> + +<p>(<i>b</i>.) <i>Complete Pottery Cup</i>. So far as I know this is the +only complete cup now in existence in the region northwest of +Lake Superior, though several others are said to have been discovered +and been sent to distant friends of the finders. This cup, +belonging now to the Historical Society was found in the grand +mound, in company with charred bones, skulls, and other human +bones, lumps of red ochre, and the shells just described. The +dimensions of the cup are as follows:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="cup"> +<tr><td align='left'>Mean diameter at top of rim </td><td align='left'>2.09 inches.</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Greatest mean diameter</td><td align='left'>3.03 "</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Height</td><td align='left'>2.49 "</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Thickness of material</td><td align='left'>0.092 "</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Weight</td><td align='left'>—— oz.</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p>Whether the cup was intended for use as a burial urn, or +simply for ordinary use it is difficult to say.</p> + +<p>Now, in endeavoring to sum up the results a few points need +some discussion.</p> + +<p>1. Who were the people who erected the mounds? Judging +from the following considerations, I should say they were</p> + +<h4>NOT AN INDIAN RACE.</h4> + +<p>Whoever built the mounds had a faculty not possessed by +modern Indians. Building instincts seem hereditary. The +beaver and the musk rat build a house. Other creatures to whom +a dwelling might be serviceable, such as the squirrel, obtain +shelter in another way. And races have their distinctive tendencies +likewise. It never occurs to an Indian to build a mound. +From what has been already said as to the fertile localities in +which the mounds are found we are justified in believing that +their builders were agriculturists. Dr. Dawson in Montreal by +the use of the microscope detected grains of charred corn in the +remains of Hochelaga. I have examined a small quantity of the +dust taken from one of the shells found in the grand mound, +with the microscope, and though I am not perfectly certain, yet +I believe there are traces of some farinaceous substance to be +seen. On skirting the shores of the Lake of the Woods into +which Rainy River runs, at the present time, you are struck by +the fact that there are no Canadian farmers there, and likewise +that there are no mounds to be seen, while along the banks of +Rainy River both the agriculturist is found cultivating the soil +and the mounds abound. It would seem to justify us in concluding +that the farmer and the mound builder avoided the one +locality because of its barren rocky character, and took to the +other because of its fertility. Moreover the continual occurrence +of pottery in the mounds shows that the mound builders were +potters as well, while none of the tribes inhabiting the district +have any knowledge of the art of pottery. The making of +pottery is the occupation peculiarly of a sedentary race, and hence<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +of a race likely to be agriculturists. As it requires the building +faculty to originate the mounds, so it requires the constructive +faculty to make pottery. In constructive ability our Indians are +singularly deficient, just as it is with greatest difficulty that they +can be induced even on a small scale to practice agriculture. It +has been objected to this conclusion that the Indians can make +a canoe, which is a marvel in its way. But there is a great difference +in the two cases. In the canoe all the materials remain +the same. The approximation to a chemical process makes the +pottery manufacture a much more complicated matter. Indeed +the Indian in token of his surprise at his success in being even +able to construct a canoe, states in his tradition that it is the +gift of the Manitou. Furthermore the mound builder used +metal tools, and was probably a metal worker. It is true the +copper implements mentioned, as having been found were brought +to Rainy and Red Rivers. I have, however, pointed out the intimate +connection judging by the line of transport subsisting between +Rainy River and Lake Superior, the mining locality for copper. +To sink a mine in the unyielding Huronian rock of Lake Superior, +with mallet and hammer and wedge and fire, take out the native +copper, work it into the desired tools, and then temper these +requires skill and adaptation unpossessed by the Indians. For +centuries we know that the Lake Superior mine in which are +found tools and timber constructions, have been buried, filled in +for ten feet with debris, and have rank vegetation and trees +growing upon them. It is certain that the Indian races, even +when shown the example, cannot when left alone follow the +mining pursuit. Not only then by the ethnological, and other +data cited do we conclude that the mound builders belong to a +different race from the present Indians, but the tradition of the +Indians is to the same effect. Then</p> + +<h4>WHO WERE THE MOUND BUILDERS?</h4> + +<p>I would lead you back now to what little we know from the +different sources, of the early history of our continent. When +the Spaniards came to Mexico in the early years of the 16th +century, Montezuma, an Aztec prince was on the throne. The +Aztecs gave themselves out as intruders in Mexico. They were +a bloody and warlike race, and though they gave the Spaniards +an easy victory it was rather a reception, for they were overawed +by superstition as to the invaders. They stated that a few centuries +before, they had been a wild tribe on the high country of +the Rio Grande and Colorado, in New Mexico. The access from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +the Pacific up the Colorado would agree well with the hypothesis +that the chief sources of the aboriginal inhabitants of America +were Mongolian, and that from parties of Mongols landing from +the Pacific Isles on the American coast, the population was derived. +At any rate the Aztecs stated that before they invaded +Mexico from their original home, they were preceded by a civilized +race, well acquainted with the arts and science, knowing +more art and astronomy in particular than they. They stated +that they had exterminated this race known as</p> + +<h4>THE TOLTECS.</h4> + +<p>The main features of the story seem correct. The Toltecs +seem to have been allied to the Peruvians. Their skulls seem of +the Brachycephalic type. The Toltecs were agriculturists, +were mechanical, industrial, and constructive. In Mexico, and further +south in Nicaragua, as well as northward, large mounds remain +which are traced to them. According to the Aztec story +the Toltecans spread in Mexico from the seventh to the twelfth +century at which latter day they were swept away. My theory +is that it was this race—which must have been very numerous—which +either came from Peru in South America, capturing Mexico +and then flowing northward; or perhaps came from New +Mexico, the American Scythia of that day, and sending one +branch down into Mexico, sent another down the Rio Grande, +which then spread up the Mississippi and its tributaries The +mounds mark the course of this race migration. They are found +on the Mississippi. One part of the race seems to have ascended +the Ohio to the great lakes and the St. Lawrence, another went +up the Missouri, while another ascended the Mississippi proper +and gained communication from its head waters with the Rainy +and Red Rivers. When then did the crest of this wave of migration +reach its furthest northward point? Taking the seventh +century as the date of the first movement of the Toltecs toward +conquest in Mexico, I have set three or four centuries as +the probable time taken for multiplication and the displacement +of former tribes, until they reached and possessed this northern +region of "The Takagamies," or far north mound builders. This +would place their occupation of Rainy River in the eleventh century. +Other considerations to which I shall refer seem to sustain +this as the probable date. The grand mound is by far the</p> + +<h4>LARGEST MOUND</h4> + +<p>on Rainy River. It is likewise at the mouth of the Bowstring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +River, which is its largest tributary and affords the readiest means +of access from the Mississippi up which the Toltecan flood of emigration +was surging. My theory is that here in their new homes, +for three centuries they multiplied, cultivated the soil, and built +the mounds which are still a monument to their industry. Here +they became less warlike because more industrious, and hence +less able to defend themselves. I have already stated that the</p> + +<h4>AZTEC WHIRLWIND OF CONQUEST</h4> + +<p>swept into Mexico from the Northwest about the twelfth century. +The sanguinary horde partly destroyed and partly +seized for its own use the civilization of the Toltecans. We have +specially to do with an Aztec wave that seems to have surged +up the valley of the Mississippi. As the great conquering people +captured one region, they would settle upon it, and send off a new +hive of marauders. Indian tribes, numerous but of the same +savage type, are marked by the old Geographers as occupying the +Mississippi valley. It was when one part of the northern horde +came up the valley of the Ohio, as the Savage Iroquois, and another +up the head waters of the Mississippi as the Sioux, the +tigers of the plains, that we became familiar in the sixteenth +century with this race. The French recognized the Sioux as the +same race as the Iroquois and called them "Iroquets" or little +Iroquois. The two nations were confederate in their form of +government; they had all the fury of Aztecs, and resemblances +of a sufficiently marked kind are found between Sioux or Dakota +and the Iroquois dialect, while their skulls follow the Dolichocephalic +type of cranium. With fire and sword the invaders +swept away the Toltecs; their mines were deserted and filled +up with debris; their arts of agriculture, metal working and +pottery making were lost; and up to the extreme limits of our +country of the Takawgamis, only the mounds and their contents +were left.</p> + +<h4>OUR HISTORIC ERA</h4> + +<p>saw the expiring blaze of this tremendous conflagration just as +the French arrived in Canada. Cartier saw a race in 1535 in +Hochelaga, who are believed to have had Brachycephalic crania, +who were agriculturists, used at least implements of metal, dwelt +in large houses, made pottery and were constructive in tendency. +In 1608 when Champlain visited the same spot, there were none +of the Hochelagans remaining. This remnant of the Toltecans<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +had been swept out of existence between the Algonquin wave +from the east and the Iroquois from the southwest. The French +heard of a similar race called the Eries and of another the Neutrals, +who had the same habits and customs as the vanished +Hochelagans, but who had been visited by the scourge of the +Iroquois on the Ohio as they ascended it, and had perished. Thus +from the twelfth century, the time set for the irruption of the +savage tribes from New Mexico, two or three centuries would +probably suffice to sweep away the last even of the farthest north +Takawgamis. This, say the fifteenth century, would agree very +well, not only with time estimated by the early French explorers, +but also with the tradition of the Crees who claim that for three +or four centuries they have lived sole possessors upon the borders +of Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg. Our +theory then is that the mound builders occupied the region of +Rainy and Red Rivers from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries. +Their works remain.</p> + +<h4>HOW OLD</h4> + +<p>then are the mounds? If our conclusions are correct the oldest +mound in our region cannot exceed 800 years, and the most recent +must have been completed upwards of 400 years ago. Look +at further considerations, which lead to these conclusions. We +learn, that 200 years ago, viz.: in 1683, the "Clistinos" and +"Assinipouals" (Crees and Assiniboines) were in their present +country. The Crees were at that time in the habit of visiting +both Lake Superior and Hudson's Bay for the purpose of trade. +They were then extensive nations and no trace of a nation which +preceded them was got from them. The fallen tree on the top +of the grand mound, judging by the concentric rings of its trunk +is 150 or 200 years old, and yet its stump stands in a foot or more +of mould that must have taken longer than that time to form. +Even among savage nations it would take upwards of half a +dozen generations of men, to lose the memory of so great a catastrophe +as the destruction of a former populous race. Then some +400 years ago would agree with the time of extermination of the +Hochelagans, or with the destruction of the Eries, who according +to Labontan were blotted out before the French came to the continent. +The Hochelagans, Eries, and Takawgamis being northern +in their habitat, I take it were among the last of the Toltecans +who survived. The white man but arrived upon the scene to +succeed the farmer, the metal worker and the potter, who had +passed away so disastrously, and to be the avenger of the lost +race, in driving before him the savage red man.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> + +<h4>THE EARLIEST MOUND.</h4> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 598px;"> +<img src="images/image003.png" width="598" height="492" alt="Figure 3." title="Figure 3." /> +<span class="caption">Figure 3.</span> +</p> + +<p>I believe our grand mound to be the earliest in the region +of the Takawgamis. It is the largest in the region. It will be +seen by reference to figure 3 that I arrive at its age in the +following way. Where it now stands, so striking an object, it is +about one-third of a mile above the point where the Bowstring River +enters the Rainy River. If however from the top of the mound +you look southward through the trees a view may be got of the +silver stream of the Bowstring, coming as if directly toward the +mound. Originally no doubt this tributary flowed close by the +mound, for the mound would undoubtedly be built on the extreme point. +But as from year to year the Bowstring River deposited +the detritus carried down by it, it formed a bank or bar, +and was gradually diverted from its course, until now, the +peninsula some hundreds of yards across its base, has become up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>wards +of a third of a mile long. I infer that this peninsula, +which I should say contains some seventy acres has been formed +since the mound—which from its position seems for observation +as well as for sepulture—was begun. Some 200 yards down the +point from the grand mound occurs another small mound. This +is some eight or ten feet high, and fifty or sixty feet across. +Along the point and close past this small mound runs an old +water course, now a treeless hay meadow. At high water in +spring, as I ascertained, the river still sends its surplus water by +this old channel. My position is that the 200 yards of earth +between the site of the grand mound and that of the small +mound was deposited after the grand mound was begun, and before +the commencement of the small mound. Undoubtedly this +small mound as well as a similar one not far up the river from +the grand mound, were begun on account of the laborious work +of carrying bones and earth to such a height, and on account of +the numerous interments which have left the surface of the grand +mound a bone pile. This is shown by the small mound being on +a site more recent than that of the large mound. Suppose a +hundred years to have sufficed to raise the small mound to its +height when the devastating ruin of the Sioux slaughtered the +last mound builder and checked the mound. From our previous +position this would represent a point some 500 years ago. But +during this 500 years according to our hypothesis all of the point +of land below the small mound, that is to say, about 300 yards in +length, has been formed. The question then is, how long at the same +rate must it have taken the 200 yards between the two mounds +to form. This brings us then to a point say 300 years before the +time of beginning of the small mound. We thus arrive at about +800 years ago as the time when the grand mound was begun. It +will thus be seen that we have reached back to the eleventh century, +the time previously deduced from historic date for the arrival +of the Toltecans on the Rainy River.</p> + +<h4>CONCLUSION.</h4> + +<p>Our investigation has now come to an end. I have led you +to examine the few fragments of a civilization which it would be +absurd to declare to have been of the very highest type, but yet +of a character much above that of the wandering tribes, which, +with their well-known thirst for blood, destroyed the very arts +and useful habits which might have bettered their condition. +The whirlwind of barbarian fury is ever one which fills peaceful +nations with terror. We may remember how near in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +"Agony of Canada," the French power was to being swept out +of existence by the fierce fury of the Iroquois—up to that time +always victorious. We may remember how civilization in Minnesota +was thrown back by the Sioux massacre of 1861. It is only +now by persistent and unwearied efforts that we can hope to +conquer the Indians by the arts of peace, and by inducing him to +take the hoe in place of the tomahawk, to meet nature's obstacles. +Who can fail to heave a sigh for our northern mound builders, +and to lament the destruction of so vast and civilized a race as +the peaceful Toltecans of Mexico, of the Mississippi, and of the +Ohio, to which our Takawgamis belonged? After all, their life +must in the main, ever remain a mystery.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i4"><b>THE LOST RACE</b><br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"One of our visits to the mound was at night."<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Oh, silent mound! thy secret tell!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">God's acre gazing toward the sky,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">'Midst sombre shade 'neath angel's eye<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Thou sleepest till the domesday knell.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Sweet leaflets, on the towering elms.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Oh whisper from your crested height!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Or have lost forests borne from sight<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The secret to their buried realms?<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Stay, babbling river, hurrying past,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Cans't thou, who saw'st the toilers build,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Not picture on thy bosom stilled,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Life-speaking shadows long since cast?<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Or, echo, mocking us with sound,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Repeat the busy voice, we pray,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Of moiling thousands, now dull clay,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And waken up the gloom profound.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Pale, shimmering ghosts that flit around,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">While spade and mattock death-fields glean,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Open with words from the unseen<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The mysteries now in cerements bound.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">No answer yet! We gaze in vain.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">With lamp and lore let science come.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Now, clear eyed maiden!!—You, too, dumb!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Your light gone out!!—'tis night again.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">And is this all? an earthen pot!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">A broken spear! a copper pin!<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Earth's grandest prizes counted in,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">A burial mound!—the common lot!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">Yes! this were all; but o'er the mound,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The stars, that fill the midnight sky,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Are eyes from Heaven that watch on high<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Till domesday's thrilling life-note sound.<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p class="center"><b>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES</b><br /></p> + +<p>Page 9 (b): The following changes have been made from the original text:</p> + +<p style="text-indent: 1em;">come changed to <a href="#came">came</a> (it came from a distant locality);</p> +<p style="text-indent: 1em;">impliments changed to <a href="#implements">implements</a> (crushed in by one of these implements.)</p> + +<p>Some paragraphs appear to end mid-sentence; however no text is missing +from the source document. The author chose to turn the end of those +sentences into paragraph headings.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOUND BUILDERS***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 17987-h.txt or 17987-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/9/8/17987">http://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/9/8/17987</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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For +example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at: + +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/0/2/3/10234 + +or filename 24689 would be found at: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/6/8/24689 + +An alternative method of locating eBooks: +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL">http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL</a> + +*** END: FULL LICENSE *** +</pre> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/17987-h/images/image001.jpg b/17987-h/images/image001.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..40a890d --- /dev/null +++ b/17987-h/images/image001.jpg diff --git a/17987-h/images/image002.jpg b/17987-h/images/image002.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3ce04aa --- /dev/null +++ b/17987-h/images/image002.jpg diff --git a/17987-h/images/image003.png b/17987-h/images/image003.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dee5dac --- /dev/null +++ b/17987-h/images/image003.png diff --git a/17987.txt b/17987.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..77c0a99 --- /dev/null +++ b/17987.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1244 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mound Builders, by George Bryce + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Mound Builders + + +Author: George Bryce + + + +Release Date: March 15, 2006 [eBook #17987] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOUND BUILDERS*** + + +E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto, Diane Monico, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) from +page images generously made available by Early Canadiana Online +(http://www.canadiana.org/eco/index.html) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 17987-h.htm or 17987-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/9/8/17987/17987-h/17987-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/9/8/17987/17987-h.zip) + + Images of the original pages are available through + Early Canadiana Online. See + http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/ItemRecord/30053?id=b37d48db075711d0 + + + + + +THE MOUND BUILDERS. + +by + +GEORGE BRYCE, M.A., L.L.D. + +Professor in Manitoba College and President of the +Historical Society, Winnipeg. + + + + + + + +[Illustration: (Cup found in Mound at Rainy River, Aug 22nd, 1884.)] + + + +Price, 25 cents. +(Season 1884-85, Transaction 18.) +(Historical Society.) +Manitoba Free Press Print, Winnipeg. + + + + +THE MOUND BUILDERS. + +A Lost Race Described by Dr. Bryce, President of the Historical +Society. + +SEASON 1884-85 + + +Ours are the only mounds making up a distinct mound-region on Canadian +soil. This comes to us as a part of the large inheritance which we who +have migrated to Manitoba receive. No longer cribbed, cabined, and +confined, we have in this our "greater Canada" a far wider range of +study than in the fringe along the Canadian lakes. Think of a thousand +miles of prairie! The enthusiastic Scotsman was wont to despise our +level Ontario, because it had no Grampians, but the mountains of +Scotland all piled together would reach but to the foot hills of our +Rockies. The Ontario geologist can only study the rocks in garden +plots, while the Nor'wester revels in the age of reptiles in his +hundreds of miles of Cretaceous rocks, with the largest coal and iron +area on the continent. As with our topography so with history. The +career of the Hudson's Bay Company, which is in fact the history of +Rupert's Land, began 120 years before the history of Ontario, and +there were forts of the two rival Fur Companies on the Saskatchewan +and throughout the country, before the first U. E. Loyalist felled a +forest tree in Upper Canada. We are especially fortunate in being the +possessors also of a field for archaeological study in the portion of +the area occupied by the mound builders--the lost race, whose fate has +a strange fascination for all who enquire into the condition of +Ancient America. + +The Indian guide points out these mounds to the student of history +with a feeling of awe; he says he knows nothing of them; his fathers +have told him that the builders of the mounds were of a different race +from them--that the mounds are memorials of a vanished people--the +"Ke-te-anish-i-na-be," or "very ancient men." The oldest Hudson's Bay +officer, and the most intelligent of the native people, born in the +country, can only give some vague story of their connection with a +race who perished with small-pox, but who, or whence, or of what +degree of civilization they were, no clue is left. + +It must be said moreover that a perusal of the works written about the +mounds, especially of the very large contributions to the subject +found in the Smithsonian Institution publications, leaves the mind of +the reader in a state of thorough confusion and uncertainty. Indeed, +the facts relating to the Mound Builders are as perplexing a problem +as the purpose of the Pyramids, or the story of King Arthur. + +Is it any wonder that we hover about the dark mystery, and find in our +researches room for absorbing study, even though we cannot reach +absolute certainty? Could you have seen the excitement which prevailed +among the half-dozen settlers, I had employed in digging the mound on +Rainy River, in August last, when the perfect pottery cup figured +below was found, and the wild enthusiasm with which they prosecuted +their further work, you would have said it requires no previous +training, but simply a successful discovery or two to make any one a +zealous mound explorer. + +A MOUND DESCRIBED. + +A mound of the kind found in our region is a very much flattened cone, +or round-topped hillock of earth. It is built usually, if not +invariably where the soil is soft and easily dug, and it is generally +possible to trace in its neighborhood the depression whence the mound +material has been taken. The mounds are as a rule found in the midst +of a fertile section of country, and it is pretty certain from this +that the mound builders were agriculturists, and chose their dwelling +places with their occupation in view, where the mounds are found. The +mounds are found accordingly on the banks of the Rainy River and Red +River, and their affluents in the Northwest, in other words upon our +best land stretches, but not so far as observed around the Lake of the +Woods, or in barren regions. Near fishing grounds they greatly abound. +What seem to have been strategic points upon the river were selected +for their sites. The promontory giving a view and so commanding a +considerable stretch of river, the point at the junction of two +rivers, or the debouchure of a river into a lake or vice versa is a +favorite spot. At the Long Sault on Rainy River there are three or +four mounds grouped together along a ridge. Here some persons of +strong imagination profess to see remains of an ancient fortification, +but to my mind this is mere fancy. Mounds in our region vary from 6 to +50 feet in height, and from 60 to 130 feet in diameter. Some are +circular at the base, others are elliptical. + +MOUND REGIONS. + +The mounds have long been known as occurring in Central America, in +Mexico, and along the whole extent of the Mississippi valley from the +Gulf of Mexico to the great lakes. Our Northwest has, however, been +neglected in the accounts of the mound-bearing region. Along our Red +River I can count some six or eight mounds that have been noted in +late years, and from the banks having been peopled and cultivated I +have little doubt that others have been obliterated. One formerly +stood on the site of the new unfinished Canadian Pacific Hotel in this +city. The larger number of those known are in the neighborhood of the +rapids, 16 or 18 miles below Winnipeg where the fishing is good. In +1879 the Historical Society opened one of these, and obtained a +considerable quantity of remains. It is reported that there are mounds +also on Nettley Creek, a tributary of the lower Red River, also on +Lake Manitoba and some of its affluents. During the past summer it was +my good fortune to visit the Rainy River, which lies some half way of +the distance from Winnipeg to Lake Superior. In that delightful +stretch of country, extending for 90 miles along the river there are +no less than 21 mounds. These I identify with the mounds of Red River. +The communication between Red and Rainy River is effected by ascending +the Red Lake River, and coming by portage to a river running from the +south into Rainy River. Both Red and Rainy River easily connect with +the head waters of the Mississippi. Our region then may be regarded as +a self-contained district including the most northerly settlements of +the strange race who built the mounds. I shall try to connect them +with other branches of the same stock, lying further to the east and +south. For convenience I shall speak of the extinct people who +inhabited our special region as the _Takawgamis_, or farthest north +mound builders. + +MOUND VARIETIES. + +The thirty or forty mounds discovered up to this time in this region +of the Takawgamis have, so far as examined, a uniform structure. Where +stone could be obtained there is found below the surface of the ground +a triple layer of flat limestone blocks, placed in an imbricated +manner over the remains interred. In one mound, at the point where the +Rainy Lake enters the Rainy River, there is a mound situated on the +property of Mr. Pither, Indian agent, in which there was found on +excavation, a structure of logs some 10 feet square, and from six to +eight feet high. In all the others yet opened the structure has been +simply of earth of various kinds heaped together. It is possible that +the mound containing the log erection may have been for sacrifice, for +the logs are found to have been charred. One purpose of all the mounds +of the Takawgamis was evidently sepulture; and in them all, charcoal +lumps, calcined bones and other evidences of fire are found. It would +seem from their position that all the mounds of this region were for +the purpose of observation as well as sepulture. The two purposes in +no way antagonize. For the better understanding of the whole I have +selected the largest mound of the Takawgamis yet discovered, and will +describe it more minutely. + +THE GRAND MOUND. + +It is situated on the Rainy River, about 20 miles from the head of +Rainy River. It stands on a point of land where the Missachappa or +Bowstring River and the Rainy River join. There is a dense forest +covering the river bank where the mound is found. The owner of the +land has made a small clearing, which now shows the mound to some +extent to one standing on the deck of a steamer passing on the river. +The distance back from the water's edge is about 50 yards. The mound +strikes you with great surprise as your eye first catches it. Its +crest is covered with lofty trees, which overtop the surrounding +forest. These thriving trees, elm, soft maple, basswood and poplar, 60 +or 70 feet high now thrust their root tendrils deep into the aforetime +softened mould. A foot or more of a mass of decayed leaves and other +vegetable matter encases the mound. The brushy surface of the mound +has been cleared by the owner, and the thicket formerly upon it +removed. The circumference of one fine poplar was found to be 4 feet +10 inches; of another tree, 5 feet 6 inches, but the largest had +lately fallen. Around the stump the last measured seven feet. The +mound is eliptical at the base. The longest diameter, that is from +east to west, the same direction as the course of the river, is 117 +feet. The corresponding shorter diameter from north to south is 90 +feet. The circumference of the mound is consequently 325 feet. The +highest point of the mound is 45 feet above the surrounding level of +the earth. As to height the mound does not compare unfavorably with +the celebrated mound at Miamisburg, Ohio, known as one of the class of +"observation mounds," which is 68 feet high and 852 feet around the +base. In addition to its purpose of sepulture, everything goes to show +that the "Grand Mound" of Rainy River was for observation as well. + +THE EXCAVATION. + +Two former attempts had been made to open this mound. One of these had +been made in the top, and the large skull before you was then +obtained. A more extensive effort was that made in 1883, by Mr. E. +McColl, Indian agent, Mr. Crowe, H. B. Co. officer of Fort Frances, +and a party of men. Their plan was to run a tunnel from north to south +through the base of the mound. They had penetrated some ten or fifteen +feet, found some articles of interest, and had then given up the +undertaking. Having employed a number of men, settlers in the +neighborhood, I determined to continue the tunnel for a certain +distance through the mound, all the way if indications were favorable, +and then to pierce the mound from the top. The men in two parties went +industriously to work on the opposite sides, working toward each +other, making a tunnel about eight feet in diameter. The earth though +originally soft soil had become so hard that it was necessary to use a +pick axe to loosen it for the spade. A number of skeletons were found +on the south side, but all I should say within ten feet from the +original surface of the mound. As we penetrated the interior fewer +remains were continually found. The earth gave many indications of +having been burnt. At one point the pick-axe sank ten inches into the +hard wall. This was about fifteen feet from the outside. The excavator +then dug out with his hand from a horizontal pocket in the earth eight +or ten inches wide and eighteen or twenty inches deep, a quantity of +soft brown dust, and a piece of bone some four inches long, a part of +a human forearm bone. This pocket was plainly the original resting +place of a skeleton, probably in a sitting posture. As deeper +penetration was made brown earthy spots without a trace of bone +remaining were come upon. The excavation on the south side was +continued for thirty feet into the mound, but at this stage it was +evident that bones, pottery, etc., had been so long interred that they +were reduced to dust. No hope seemed to remain now of finding objects +of interest in this direction, and so with about forty feet yet +wanting to complete, the tunnel, the search was transferred to the top +of the mound. + +THE UPPER CUT. + +Beginning on the crest of the mound, the mould was removed over a +considerable space, and though some trouble was found from the +presence of the roots of the growing trees, yet three or four feet +from the surface human bones and skeletons began to occur. In some +cases a complete skeleton was found, in other cases what seemed to be +a circle of skulls, buried alongside charred bones, fragments of +pottery and other articles. Several different excavations were made on +the mound surface, and it was found that every part from the base to +the crest contained bones and skeletons, to the depth of from six to +ten feet as already said; bones and articles of interest were found +thus far; deeper than this nothing. I shall now describe the articles +found in this mound, and refer in some cases to what has been found in +the other mounds of the Takawgamis. + +NATURAL PRODUCTS. + +1. _Bones_. Of the bones found, the skulls were the most interesting. +In some cases it would seem as if they alone of the bones had been +carried from a distance, perhaps from a distant part of the mound +builders' territory, from a battle field or some other spot. In some +cases this was proved, by the presence in the eye-sockets and cavities +of clay of a different kind from that of the mound, showing a previous +interment. The mound was plainly a sacred spot of the family or sept. +Before you are pieces of charred bone. Of the bones unburnt some were +of large size. There are before us two skulls, one from the grand +mound, the other from the Red River mound opened by the Society in +1879. The following are the measurements of the two skulls which I +have made carefully; and alongside the average measurements of the +Brachycephalic type given by Dr. Daniel Wilson, as well as of the +Dolichocephalic: + + AVERAGE RAINY RED AVERAGE + DOLICHO- RIVER RIVER BRACHY- + CEPHALIC. SKULL. SKULL. CEPHALIC. + +Longitudinal diameter 7.24 7.3 in 6.7 6.62 + +Parietal diameter 5.47 5.8 5.5 5.45 + +Vertical " 5.42 6.2 5.8 5.30 + +Frontal " 4.36 4.2 3.7 4.24 + +Intermastoid Arch 14.67 15.3 15.6 14.63 + +Intermastoid line 4.23 5.8 4.3 4.25 + +Occipito frontal Arch 14.62 17.0 13.8 13.85 + +Horizontal circumference 20.29 22.3 19.6 19.44 + +From this it will be seen that the Red River mound skulls agree with +the Toltecan Brachycephalic type; and the Rainy River skull while not +so distinctly Brachycephalic yet is considerably above the average of +the Dolichocephalic type. + +2. _Wood_. As already stated it is only in some of the mounds that +charred wood is found. This specimen is from the mound at +Contcheteheng, at the head of Rainy River. It stands beside the +Rapids. This mound has supplied many interesting remains. From this +fact as well as from its situation, I would hazard the opinion that +here, as at the great Rainy River Falls, three miles farther down, +there were villages in the old mound building days. It is a fact +worthy of notice that the site of the first French Fort on Rainy +River, St. Pierre built by Verandrye in 1731, was a few hundred yards +from this mound. + +3. _Bark_. Specimens of birch bark were found near by the bones. It +was no doubt originally used for swathing or wrapping the corpses +buried. That a soft decayable substance such as bark, should have +lasted while a number of bones had decayed may seem strange. No doubt +this may be explained in the same way as the presence among the +remains in Hochelaga, on the Island of Montreal, of preserved +fragments of maize, viz., by its having been scorched. The pieces of +bark seem to have been hardened by scorching. + +4. _Earth_. The main earth of the mound is plainly the same as that of +the soil surrounding it. By what means the earth was piled up, is a +question for speculation. It seems a matter of small moment. Possibly +that the earth was carried in baskets, or vessels of considerable size +is sufficient to account for it. My theory is that the mound was not +erected by a vast company of busy workers as were the pyramids, but +that it was begun at first for purposes of observation, that as +interments were from time to time made in it sufficient earth was +carried up to effect the purpose, until in centuries the enormous +aggregate of earth was formed. Among the earth of the mound are also +found in spots, quantities of red and yellow ochre. The fact that the +skulls and bones seem often to have a reddish tinge, goes to show that +the ochre was used for the purpose of ornamentation. Sometimes a skull +is drawn out of the firm cast made by it in the earth, and the cast is +seen to be reddened by the ochre which was probably smeared over the +face of the slain warrior. The ochre is entirely foreign to the earth +of which the mound is made, but being earthy remains long after even +pottery has gone to decay. + +5. _Ore_. Lying near this skull as if they had been placed in the +hands of the corpse were two pieces of metallic ore, one of which is +before you. A fresh section of it shows it to be Arsenical Iron +Pyrites, each piece weighing four or five ounces. No doubt the shining +ore and its heavy weight attracted notice, although it is of no +commercial value. The probabilities are that this ore was regarded as +sacred, and possibly having been considered valuable was placed beside +the corpse as the ancient obolus was laid beside the departed Greek to +pay his fare to crusty Charon. + +[Illustration: FIGURE 1. MOUND BUILDERS' IMPLEMENTS.] + +MANUFACTURED ARTICLES. + +1. _Stone Implements_. The stone articles found, no doubt form a very +small proportion of the implements used by the lost race. I am able to +show you three classes of implements. + +(_a_.) _Scrapers_. (See C. Figure 1.) These were made after the same +manner and from the same material as the flint arrow heads, found so +commonly all over this continent. They are usually of an oval or +elongated diamond shape, of various thicknesses, but thin at the +edges. Their purpose seems to have been to assist in skinning the +game, the larger for larger game, the smaller for rabbits and the +smaller fur bearing animals. Probably these implements were also used +for scraping the hides or skins manufactured into useful articles. + +(_b_.) _Stone Axes and Malls_. In the mound on Red River was found the +beautiful axe of crystalline limestone, which approaches marble. From +the absence of stone so far as we know of this kind in this +neighborhood, it is safe to conclude that it came from a distant +locality. There are also gray stone celts and hammers used for +crushing corn, for hammering wood and bark for the canoes, and other +such like purposes, in time of peace; and serving as formidable +weapons in time of war. In the mound on the Red River a skull was +discovered having a deep depression in the broken wall, as if crushed +in by one of these implements. + +(_c_.) _Stone Tubes_. (See B Fig. 1.) These are among the most +difficult of all the mound-builders' remains to give an opinion upon. +They are chiefly made of a soft stone something like the pipestone +used by the present Indians which approaches soapstone. The hollow +tubes (see figure B.) vary from three to six inches in length, and are +about one-half an inch in diameter. They seem to have been bored out +by some sharp instrument. Schoolcraft, certainly a competent Indian +authority states that these tubes were employed for astronomical +purposes, that is to look at the stars. This is unlikely; for though +the race, with which I shall try to identify our mound builders are +said, in regions further south, to have left remains showing +astronomical knowledge, yet a more reasonable purpose is suggested for +the tubes. From the teeth marks around the rim, the tubes were plainly +used in the mouth, and it is becoming generally agreed that they were +conjuror's cupping instruments for sucking out as the medicine men +pretended to be able to do the disease from the body. The custom +survives in some of the present Indian tribes. A lady friend of mine +informs me that she has a bone whistle taken from a mound in the Red +River district. + +2. _Horn Implements_. (See D. Figure 1.) The only implement of this +class that we have yet found is the fish spear head (Fig. D.). It was +probably made from the antlers of a deer killed in the chase. Its +barbed edge indicates that it was used for spearing fish. It is in a +fair state of preservation. + +3. _Copper_. No discovery of the mounds so fills the mind of the +Archaeologist with joy as that of copper implements. Copper mining has +now by the discovery in the Lake Superior region, of mining shafts +long deserted, in which copper was quarried by stone hammers on a +large scale, been shown to have been pursued in very ancient times on +this continent. It is of intense interest for us to know that not only +are there mines found on the south side of Lake Superior, but also at +Isle Royale, on the north side just at the opening of Thunder Bay, and +immediately contiguous to the Grand Portage, where the canoe route to +Rainy River, so late as our own century, started from Lake Superior. +According to the American Geologists the traces for a mile are found +of an old copper mine on this Island. One of the pits opened showed +that the excavation had been made in the solid rock to the depth of +nine feet, the walls being perfectly smooth. A vein of native copper +eighteen inches thick was discovered at the bottom. Here is found +also, unless I am much mistaken, the mining location whence the +Takawgamis of Rainy River obtained their copper implements. Two copper +implements are in our possession, one found by Mr. E. McColl in the +grand mound, and the other by Mr. Alexander Baker in a small mound +adjoining this. + +(_a_.) _Copper Needle or Drill_. (See A. Fig. 1.) This was plainly +used for some piercing or boring purpose. It is hard, yields with +difficulty to the knife, and is considered by some to have been +tempered. It may have been for drilling out soft stone implements, or +was probably used for piercing as a needle soft fabrics of bark and +the like, which were being sewed together. + +(_b_.) _Copper Cutting Knife_. (See E. Fig. 1.) This, has evidently +been fastened into a wooden handle. It may have been used for cutting +leather, being in the shape of a saddler's knife, or was perhaps more +suited for scraping the hides and skins of animals being prepared for +use. + +Some twenty miles above the mound on the Rainy River at Fort Frances a +copper chisel buried in the earth was found by Mr. Pither, then H. B. +Company agent, and was given by him to the late Governor McTavish. The +chisel was ten inches long, was well tempered, and was a good cutting +instrument. Another copper implement is in the possession of our +Society, which was found buried in the earth 100 miles west of Red +River. + +All these, I take it, were made from copper obtained from Isle Royale +on Lake Superior. + +4. _Shell Ornaments_. Traces are found in the mound, of the fact that +the decorative taste, no doubt developed in all ages, and in all +climes, was possessed by the Takawgamis. + +(_a_.) _Sea Shells_. Important as pointing to the home and trading +centres of the mound builders is the presence among the debris of the +mound, of sea shells. We have three specimens found in the grand +mound. Two of them seem to belong to the genus Natica, the other to +Marginella. They have all been cut or ground down on the side of the +opening of the shell, so that two holes permit the passage of a +string, by which the beads thus made are strung together. The fact +that the genera to which the shells belong are found in the sea, as +well as their highly polished surface show these to be marine; and not +only so but from the tropical seas, either we suppose from the Gulf of +Mexico or from the Californian coast. + +(_b_.) _Fresh Water Shells_. In all the mounds yet opened, examples of +the Unio, or River Mussel, commonly known as the clam have been found. +They are usually polished, cut into symmetrical shapes, and have holes +bored in them. We have one which was no doubt used as a breast +ornament, and was hung by a string around the neck. In the bottom of a +nearly complete pottery cup, found in the grand mound, which went to +pieces as we took it out, there was lying a polished clam shell. The +clam still abounds on Rainy River. Six miles above the mound, we saw +gathered together by an industrious housewife hundreds of the same +species of clam, whose shells she was in the habit of pulverizing for +the benefit of her poultry. + +5. _Pottery_. (_a_.) _Broken_. It seems to be a feature of every mound +that has been opened that fragments of pottery have been unearthed. +The Society has in its possession remains of twenty or thirty pottery +vessels. They are shown to be portions of different pots, by their +variety of marking. The pottery is of a coarse sort, seemingly made by +hand and not upon a wheel, and then baked. The markings were made upon +the soft clay, evidently with a sharp instrument, or sometimes with +the finger nail. Some pieces are found hard and well preserved; others +are rapidly disintegrating. As stated already, in the grand mound, a +vessel some five inches in diameter was dug up by one of the workers, +filled with earth, which though we tried earnestly to save it, yet +went to pieces in our hands. The frequency with which fragments of +pottery are found in the mounds has given rise to the theory that +being used at the time of the funeral rites the vessel was dashed to +pieces as was done by some ancient nations in the burial of the dead. +This theory is made very doubtful indeed by the discovery of the + +[Illustration: FIGURE 2.] + +(_b_.) _Complete Pottery Cup_. So far as I know this is the only +complete cup now in existence in the region northwest of Lake +Superior, though several others are said to have been discovered and +been sent to distant friends of the finders. This cup, belonging now +to the Historical Society was found in the grand mound, in company +with charred bones, skulls, and other human bones, lumps of red ochre, +and the shells just described. The dimensions of the cup are as +follows: + + Mean diameter at top of rim 2.09 inches. + Greatest mean diameter 3.03 " + Height 2.49 " + Thickness of material 0.092 " + Weight ---- oz. + +Whether the cup was intended for use as a burial urn, or simply for +ordinary use it is difficult to say. + +Now, in endeavoring to sum up the results a few points need some +discussion. + +1. Who were the people who erected the mounds? Judging from the +following considerations, I should say they were + +NOT AN INDIAN RACE. + +Whoever built the mounds had a faculty not possessed by modern +Indians. Building instincts seem hereditary. The beaver and the musk +rat build a house. Other creatures to whom a dwelling might be +serviceable, such as the squirrel, obtain shelter in another way. And +races have their distinctive tendencies likewise. It never occurs to +an Indian to build a mound. From what has been already said as to the +fertile localities in which the mounds are found we are justified in +believing that their builders were agriculturists. Dr. Dawson in +Montreal by the use of the microscope detected grains of charred corn +in the remains of Hochelaga. I have examined a small quantity of the +dust taken from one of the shells found in the grand mound, with the +microscope, and though I am not perfectly certain, yet I believe there +are traces of some farinaceous substance to be seen. On skirting the +shores of the Lake of the Woods into which Rainy River runs, at the +present time, you are struck by the fact that there are no Canadian +farmers there, and likewise that there are no mounds to be seen, while +along the banks of Rainy River both the agriculturist is found +cultivating the soil and the mounds abound. It would seem to justify +us in concluding that the farmer and the mound builder avoided the one +locality because of its barren rocky character, and took to the other +because of its fertility. Moreover the continual occurrence of pottery +in the mounds shows that the mound builders were potters as well, +while none of the tribes inhabiting the district have any knowledge of +the art of pottery. The making of pottery is the occupation peculiarly +of a sedentary race, and hence of a race likely to be agriculturists. +As it requires the building faculty to originate the mounds, so it +requires the constructive faculty to make pottery. In constructive +ability our Indians are singularly deficient, just as it is with +greatest difficulty that they can be induced even on a small scale to +practice agriculture. It has been objected to this conclusion that the +Indians can make a canoe, which is a marvel in its way. But there is a +great difference in the two cases. In the canoe all the materials +remain the same. The approximation to a chemical process makes the +pottery manufacture a much more complicated matter. Indeed the Indian +in token of his surprise at his success in being even able to +construct a canoe, states in his tradition that it is the gift of the +Manitou. Furthermore the mound builder used metal tools, and was +probably a metal worker. It is true the copper implements mentioned, +as having been found were brought to Rainy and Red Rivers. I have, +however, pointed out the intimate connection judging by the line of +transport subsisting between Rainy River and Lake Superior, the mining +locality for copper. To sink a mine in the unyielding Huronian rock of +Lake Superior, with mallet and hammer and wedge and fire, take out the +native copper, work it into the desired tools, and then temper these +requires skill and adaptation unpossessed by the Indians. For +centuries we know that the Lake Superior mine in which are found tools +and timber constructions, have been buried, filled in for ten feet +with debris, and have rank vegetation and trees growing upon them. It +is certain that the Indian races, even when shown the example, cannot +when left alone follow the mining pursuit. Not only then by the +ethnological, and other data cited do we conclude that the mound +builders belong to a different race from the present Indians, but the +tradition of the Indians is to the same effect. Then + +WHO WERE THE MOUND BUILDERS? + +I would lead you back now to what little we know from the different +sources, of the early history of our continent. When the Spaniards +came to Mexico in the early years of the 16th century, Montezuma, an +Aztec prince was on the throne. The Aztecs gave themselves out as +intruders in Mexico. They were a bloody and warlike race, and though +they gave the Spaniards an easy victory it was rather a reception, for +they were overawed by superstition as to the invaders. They stated +that a few centuries before, they had been a wild tribe on the high +country of the Rio Grande and Colorado, in New Mexico. The access +from the Pacific up the Colorado would agree well with the hypothesis +that the chief sources of the aboriginal inhabitants of America were +Mongolian, and that from parties of Mongols landing from the Pacific +Isles on the American coast, the population was derived. At any rate +the Aztecs stated that before they invaded Mexico from their original +home, they were preceded by a civilized race, well acquainted with the +arts and science, knowing more art and astronomy in particular than +they. They stated that they had exterminated this race known as + +THE TOLTECS. + +The main features of the story seem correct. The Toltecs seem to have +been allied to the Peruvians. Their skulls seem of the Brachycephalic +type. The Toltecs were agriculturists, were mechanical, industrial, +and constructive. In Mexico, and further south in Nicaragua, as well +as northward, large mounds remain which are traced to them. According +to the Aztec story the Toltecans spread in Mexico from the seventh to +the twelfth century at which latter day they were swept away. My +theory is that it was this race--which must have been very +numerous--which either came from Peru in South America, capturing +Mexico and then flowing northward; or perhaps came from New Mexico, +the American Scythia of that day, and sending one branch down into +Mexico, sent another down the Rio Grande, which then spread up the +Mississippi and its tributaries The mounds mark the course of this +race migration. They are found on the Mississippi. One part of the +race seems to have ascended the Ohio to the great lakes and the St. +Lawrence, another went up the Missouri, while another ascended the +Mississippi proper and gained communication from its head waters with +the Rainy and Red Rivers. When then did the crest of this wave of +migration reach its furthest northward point? Taking the seventh +century as the date of the first movement of the Toltecs toward +conquest in Mexico, I have set three or four centuries as the probable +time taken for multiplication and the displacement of former tribes, +until they reached and possessed this northern region of "The +Takagamies," or far north mound builders. This would place their +occupation of Rainy River in the eleventh century. Other +considerations to which I shall refer seem to sustain this as the +probable date. The grand mound is by far the + +LARGEST MOUND + +on Rainy River. It is likewise at the mouth of the Bowstring River, +which is its largest tributary and affords the readiest means of +access from the Mississippi up which the Toltecan flood of emigration +was surging. My theory is that here in their new homes, for three +centuries they multiplied, cultivated the soil, and built the mounds +which are still a monument to their industry. Here they became less +warlike because more industrious, and hence less able to defend +themselves. I have already stated that the + +AZTEC WHIRLWIND OF CONQUEST + +swept into Mexico from the Northwest about the twelfth century. The +sanguinary horde partly destroyed and partly seized for its own use +the civilization of the Toltecans. We have specially to do with an +Aztec wave that seems to have surged up the valley of the Mississippi. +As the great conquering people captured one region, they would settle +upon it, and send off a new hive of marauders. Indian tribes, numerous +but of the same savage type, are marked by the old Geographers as +occupying the Mississippi valley. It was when one part of the northern +horde came up the valley of the Ohio, as the Savage Iroquois, and +another up the head waters of the Mississippi as the Sioux, the tigers +of the plains, that we became familiar in the sixteenth century with +this race. The French recognized the Sioux as the same race as the +Iroquois and called them "Iroquets" or little Iroquois. The two +nations were confederate in their form of government; they had all the +fury of Aztecs, and resemblances of a sufficiently marked kind are +found between Sioux or Dakota and the Iroquois dialect, while their +skulls follow the Dolichocephalic type of cranium. With fire and sword +the invaders swept away the Toltecs; their mines were deserted and +filled up with debris; their arts of agriculture, metal working and +pottery making were lost; and up to the extreme limits of our country +of the Takawgamis, only the mounds and their contents were left. + +OUR HISTORIC ERA + +saw the expiring blaze of this tremendous conflagration just as the +French arrived in Canada. Cartier saw a race in 1535 in Hochelaga, who +are believed to have had Brachycephalic crania, who were +agriculturists, used at least implements of metal, dwelt in large +houses, made pottery and were constructive in tendency. In 1608 when +Champlain visited the same spot, there were none of the Hochelagans +remaining. This remnant of the Toltecans had been swept out of +existence between the Algonquin wave from the east and the Iroquois +from the southwest. The French heard of a similar race called the +Eries and of another the Neutrals, who had the same habits and customs +as the vanished Hochelagans, but who had been visited by the scourge +of the Iroquois on the Ohio as they ascended it, and had perished. +Thus from the twelfth century, the time set for the irruption of the +savage tribes from New Mexico, two or three centuries would probably +suffice to sweep away the last even of the farthest north Takawgamis. +This, say the fifteenth century, would agree very well, not only with +time estimated by the early French explorers, but also with the +tradition of the Crees who claim that for three or four centuries they +have lived sole possessors upon the borders of Lake Superior, Lake of +the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg. Our theory then is that the mound +builders occupied the region of Rainy and Red Rivers from the eleventh +to the fifteenth centuries. Their works remain. + +HOW OLD + +then are the mounds? If our conclusions are correct the oldest mound +in our region cannot exceed 800 years, and the most recent must have +been completed upwards of 400 years ago. Look at further +considerations, which lead to these conclusions. We learn, that 200 +years ago, viz.: in 1683, the "Clistinos" and "Assinipouals" (Crees +and Assiniboines) were in their present country. The Crees were at +that time in the habit of visiting both Lake Superior and Hudson's Bay +for the purpose of trade. They were then extensive nations and no +trace of a nation which preceded them was got from them. The fallen +tree on the top of the grand mound, judging by the concentric rings of +its trunk is 150 or 200 years old, and yet its stump stands in a foot +or more of mould that must have taken longer than that time to form. +Even among savage nations it would take upwards of half a dozen +generations of men, to lose the memory of so great a catastrophe as +the destruction of a former populous race. Then some 400 years ago +would agree with the time of extermination of the Hochelagans, or with +the destruction of the Eries, who according to Labontan were blotted +out before the French came to the continent. The Hochelagans, Eries, +and Takawgamis being northern in their habitat, I take it were among +the last of the Toltecans who survived. The white man but arrived upon +the scene to succeed the farmer, the metal worker and the potter, who +had passed away so disastrously, and to be the avenger of the lost +race, in driving before him the savage red man. + +THE EARLIEST MOUND. + +[Illustration: FIGURE 3.] + +I believe our grand mound to be the earliest in the region of the +Takawgamis. It is the largest in the region. It will be seen by +reference to figure 3 that I arrive at its age in the following way. +Where it now stands, so striking an object, it is about one-third of a +mile above the point where the Bowstring River enters the Rainy River. +If however from the top of the mound you look southward through the +trees a view may be got of the silver stream of the Bowstring, coming +as if directly toward the mound. Originally no doubt this tributary +flowed close by the mound, for the mound would undoubtedly be built on +the extreme point. But as from year to year the Bowstring River +deposited the detritus carried down by it, it formed a bank or bar, +and was gradually diverted from its course, until now, the peninsula +some hundreds of yards across its base, has become upwards of a third +of a mile long. I infer that this peninsula, which I should say +contains some seventy acres has been formed since the mound--which +from its position seems for observation as well as for sepulture--was +begun. Some 200 yards down the point from the grand mound occurs +another small mound. This is some eight or ten feet high, and fifty or +sixty feet across. Along the point and close past this small mound +runs an old water course, now a treeless hay meadow. At high water in +spring, as I ascertained, the river still sends its surplus water by +this old channel. My position is that the 200 yards of earth between +the site of the grand mound and that of the small mound was deposited +after the grand mound was begun, and before the commencement of the +small mound. Undoubtedly this small mound as well as a similar one not +far up the river from the grand mound, were begun on account of the +laborious work of carrying bones and earth to such a height, and on +account of the numerous interments which have left the surface of the +grand mound a bone pile. This is shown by the small mound being on a +site more recent than that of the large mound. Suppose a hundred years +to have sufficed to raise the small mound to its height when the +devastating ruin of the Sioux slaughtered the last mound builder and +checked the mound. From our previous position this would represent a +point some 500 years ago. But during this 500 years according to our +hypothesis all of the point of land below the small mound, that is to +say, about 300 yards in length, has been formed. The question then is, +how long at the same rate must it have taken the 200 yards between the +two mounds to form. This brings us then to a point say 300 years +before the time of beginning of the small mound. We thus arrive at +about 800 years ago as the time when the grand mound was begun. It +will thus be seen that we have reached back to the eleventh century, +the time previously deduced from historic date for the arrival of the +Toltecans on the Rainy River. + +CONCLUSION. + +Our investigation has now come to an end. I have led you to examine +the few fragments of a civilization which it would be absurd to +declare to have been of the very highest type, but yet of a character +much above that of the wandering tribes, which, with their well-known +thirst for blood, destroyed the very arts and useful habits which +might have bettered their condition. The whirlwind of barbarian fury +is ever one which fills peaceful nations with terror. We may remember +how near in the "Agony of Canada," the French power was to being +swept out of existence by the fierce fury of the Iroquois--up to that +time always victorious. We may remember how civilization in Minnesota +was thrown back by the Sioux massacre of 1861. It is only now by +persistent and unwearied efforts that we can hope to conquer the +Indians by the arts of peace, and by inducing him to take the hoe in +place of the tomahawk, to meet nature's obstacles. Who can fail to +heave a sigh for our northern mound builders, and to lament the +destruction of so vast and civilized a race as the peaceful Toltecans +of Mexico, of the Mississippi, and of the Ohio, to which our +Takawgamis belonged? After all, their life must in the main, ever +remain a mystery. + + THE LOST RACE + + "One of our visits to the mound was at night." + + Oh, silent mound! thy secret tell! + God's acre gazing toward the sky, + 'Midst sombre shade 'neath angel's eye + Thou sleepest till the domesday knell. + + Sweet leaflets, on the towering elms. + Oh whisper from your crested height! + Or have lost forests borne from sight + The secret to their buried realms? + + Stay, babbling river, hurrying past, + Cans't thou, who saw'st the toilers build, + Not picture on thy bosom stilled, + Life-speaking shadows long since cast? + + Or, echo, mocking us with sound, + Repeat the busy voice, we pray, + Of moiling thousands, now dull clay, + And waken up the gloom profound. + + Pale, shimmering ghosts that flit around, + While spade and mattock death-fields glean, + Open with words from the unseen + The mysteries now in cerements bound. + + No answer yet! We gaze in vain. + With lamp and lore let science come. + Now, clear eyed maiden!!--You, too, dumb! + Your light gone out!!--'tis night again. + + And is this all? an earthen pot! + A broken spear! a copper pin! + Earth's grandest prizes counted in, + A burial mound!--the common lot! + + Yes! this were all; but o'er the mound, + The stars, that fill the midnight sky, + Are eyes from Heaven that watch on high + Till domesday's thrilling life-note sound. + + + + * * * * * + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES + + Page 9 (b): The following changes have been made from the original + text: + + come changed to came (it came from a distant locality); + + impliments changed to implements (crushed in by one of these + implements.) + + Some paragraphs appear to end mid-sentence; however no text is missing + from the source document. 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