t first scrupulous to enter this obscure place, but at last we
ventured, and, groping about, we felt some posts in the middle; then
reaching our hands up those posts, we found large shelves, and upon
these shelves three mats, each of which was rolled up, and sowed fast.
These we handed down to the light, and to save time in unlacing the
seams, we made use of a knife, and ripped them, without doing any damage
to the mats. In one of these we found some vast bones, which we judged
to be the bones of men--particularly we measured one thighbone, and
found it two feet nine inches long. In another mat we found some Indian
tomahawks finely graved and painted. These resembled the wooden falchion
used by the prize-fighters in England, except that they have no guard to
save the fingers. They were made of a rough, heavy wood, and the shape
of them is represented in the tab. 10, No. 3. Among these tomahawks, was
the largest that ever I saw. There was fastened to it a wild turkey's
beard painted red, and two of the longest feathers of his wings hung
dangling at it, by a string of about six inches long, tied to the end of
the tomahawk. In the third mat there was something which we took to be
their idol, though of an underling sort, and wanted putting together.
The pieces were these--first, a board three feet and a half long, with
one indenture at the upper end like a fork, to fasten the head upon.
From thence half way down, were half hoops nailed to the edges of the
board, at about four inches' distance, which were bowed out, to
represent the breast and belly; on the lower half was another board of
half the length of the other, fastened to it by joints or pieces of
wood, which being set on each side stood out about fourteen inches from
the body, and half as high. We supposed the use of these to be for the
bowing out of the knees, when the image was set up. There were packed up
with these things, red and blue pieces of cotton cloth, rolls made up
for arms, thighs and legs, bent too at the knees, as is represented in
the figure of their idol, which was taken by an exact drawer in the
first discovery of the country. It would be difficult to see one of
these images at this day, because the Indians are extreme shy of
exposing them. We put the clothes upon the hoops for the body, and
fastened on the arms and legs to have a view of the representation; but
the head and rich bracelets, which it is usually adorned with, were not
there, or at leas