on for many years, and the
plow has been remorselessly driven over the ancient embankments, yet
enough remain to excite our curiosity and to amply repay investigation.

This portion of the United States seems to have been the home, the seat
of the mound building tribes. We can not expect to find one type of
remains scattered over this entire section of country. Indeed, to judge
from the difference of the remains, they must have been the work of
different people or tribes, who were doubtless possessed of different
degrees of culture.<3> We will notice in our examination how these
remains vary in different sections of the country. But it is noticeable
that these remains become scarce and finally disappear as we go north,
east, and west from the great valley. Although they are numerous in the
Gulf States, yet they are not to be found, except in a few cases, in
States bordering on the Atlantic.<4> Some wandering bands, perhaps
colonies from the main body of the people, established works on the
Wateree River, in South Carolina,<5> In the mountainous regions of North
Carolina occur mines of mica, which article was much prized by the
mound builders; and here also are to be found traces of their early
presence.<6> We do not know of any authentic remains in New England
States. In Western New York there exists a class of remains which,
though once supposed to be the work of these people, are now generally
considered as the remains of works erected by the Indians,<7> and of a
similar origin appears to have been the singular fortification near Lake
Winnipiseogee, in New Hampshire.<8>

We have no record of their presence north of the great lakes. Passing
now to the western part of the valley, we do not find definite traces of
their presence in Texas. On this point, however, some authors state the
contrary, apparently basing their views on a class of mounds mentioned
by Prof. Forshey.<9> But the very description given of these mounds, and
the statements as to the immense number of them,<10> seem to show they
are not the work of men.<11> We do not think the West, and especially
the North-west, has been carefully enough explored to state where they
begin. It is certain that the head waters of the Mississippi and the
Missouri were thickly settled with tribes of this people, and some
writers think that they spread over the country by way of the Missouri
Valley from the North-west. Mr. Bancroft quotes from the writings of
Mr. Dean, to sh