the east, besides two streets circumscribing nearly the whole.

"The circular fort consists of two parallel walls, whose tops are, apparently, about three rods asunder ; the inner one of which is forty-seven rods in diameter. Between these two walls is a fosse, excavated sufficiently broad and deep; and not more than sufficiently so, to have afforded earth enough for the construction of the external wall alone. From this circumstance, among others, the earth composing the inner wall, is supposed to have been transported from a distance.

"Another particular, corroborating this supposition, is there being a level foot way, of about four feet wide, left on the original surface of the ground, between the interior bourn of the ditch, and the exterior base of the inner wall. Although this circumstance is far from being conclusive upon the subject; yet, the following fact almost infallibly proves this conjecture to be well founded. This is, that the interior wall is composed of clay, of which the inhabitants manufacture brick; whereas, the exterior circle is composed of dirt and gravel of a similar quality with that which composes the neighbouring ground.

"There is but one original regular opening, or passage, into the circular fort; and that is in the east side from the square one. The latter has seven avenues leading into it, exclusively of that which communicates with the circle; there is one at every corner, and one on each side equi-distant from the angular openings. These avenues are each 12 or 15 feet wide; and the - walls on either hand, rise immediately to their usual height; which is above 20 feet.

"The trees, which are growing upon these, and all the other forts and mounds throughout the country, are, apparently, of equal age and size, and those which are down, are in equal stages of decay, with those, in like situations, in the surrounding forests. This circum stance, incontestibly proves the great antiquity of these stupendous remains of former labour and ingenuity.

"The following figure is a representation of the ancient works about Circleville."

*

South.

A traveller, who has given a minute and correct description of the ancient works at Marietta, after describing the mounds, proceeds to speak of the forts, ramparts and covert way.

"After leaving this little mound, I entered the southern extremity of what is called the Little Fort, being a parallelogram of five hundred and thirty paces in length, and three hundred and seventy in breadth, its longest sides extending to the north-west, and lying parallel to

the river.

"This fort has three entrances or gateways on each side; one in the middle, and one at each corner; each of the corner passages, is covered or defended by a small elevated mound, and the middle gates by two. The walls or ramparts are generally from five to eight feet in height, and appear to be in a tolerable state of preservation. A small distance to the west end, and on the outside of this fort, towards the margin of what was formerly the river, is the spot which has been designated as the burial ground of the ancients.

"From the Little Fort about one hundred and fortyfive paces, still further towards the north-west, stands the Great Fort, which is in the form of an oblong square, about five hundred and fifty paces in length, and five hundred and ten in breadth, having three passages or gateways on each side; but that on the southwest, or river side, is somewhat the largest.

* Shultz.

"The walls are, generally, from five to nine feet in height, and fourteen paces in thickness at the bottom. From the large gateway, and at another on the river side of the wall, are two covert ways leading towards the river, about one hundred and forty-three paces in length. In the inside of the middle entrance of the south-west wall or rampart, is a singular and elevated square mound, extending parallel to the sides of the fort, sixty paces in length to the north-west, forty-eight in breadth to the north-east, and about eight and a half feet in height.

"It has likewise abutments at the centre of each side, forming gentle ascents to the top, excepting the side nearest to the wall, which has a covered way four paces wide, extending inward a few paces, when it likewise affords another passage to the summit.

"At the easternmost corner, on the right, there is another mound of the same figure and form as the last, although not so large, being no more than forty-four paces in length, twenty-two in breadth, and about five feet in height. This mound, from some unknown cause or other, appears in a far less perfect state than the former.

"At the southernmost corner, on the left, is a narrow, and something of a half-moon formed parapet, about the same height, and eighty paces in extent, with a mound at the centre, which evidently appears to have been intended to defend the gate at that corner.

"At the westernmost corner, there is another of the afore-mentioned mounds, with abutments at each side, affording an easy passage to the summit; this one is about nine feet in height, seventy-six paces in length, and fifty-four in breadth.

"Exclusive of the works just mentioned, there are many smaller mounds and excavations, without the limits of the walls or ramparts, but in general so trifling and imperfect, when compared with what I have already described, as not to be deserving of notice.

"There seems to be a considerable diversity of opinion among those who have examined these works, respecting the original intention or design for which they

were erected by the founders; for, while some, and among those, several military characters, who ought to be able to form a competent judgment, have pronounced them places of warlike defence; others have insisted that they were the mere towns of some peaceable people, and that the elevations which have been mistaken for forts and ramparts, were nothing more than the site of their temples, and the walls of their gardens; and the elevated mounds, the sepulchres of their dead, or high places of sacrifice!"

"The passages or spaces in the sides or walls of the ramparts, were probably used as gateways, and guarded accordingly. The mean distance between these gateways is one hundred and sixty-five paces; consequently the guard stationed at one gate was within hail of him who kept watch at the next.

"For what particular purpose the elevated mounds or platforms in the Great Fort were intended I am unable to determine, yet think it not unreasonable to suppose, that they may have been raised for the site of some warlike engines, to discharge stones or other missile weapons upon a besieging enemy.

"What strengthens this opinion is, that each of these mounds commands a principal passage to the fort, and the largest one overlooks that which opens to the Muskingum, from which the covert ways extended to the low grounds, where, as I have before observed, the river formerly flowed.

"If, therefore, these works, after a lapse of so many ages, still evince such evident signs of skill and design in their founders, it is but reasonable to suppose, that when they were first erected, they were even more perfect, and that they may have been surrounded with pickets, palisades, and other temporary works, which being of a more perishable nature, have entirely disappeared."

One of the small mounds at Marietta, was removed in 1819. In the centre, on a level with the surrounding earth, were found human bones in a stone enclosure; and beside the bones, the remains of a sword, or rather the hilt of a sword, which was of copper, plated with silver.

These mounds and forts appear to have been constructed ages since, by a race of men partially civilized; and skilled in the arts very far indeed beyond the present Indians. By whom they were constructed is altogether a subject of conjecture.

It is the opinion of many judicious persons, that a number of Asiatics crossed Bheering's straits and proceeded S. E. as far as to the Alleghany mountains; and that these forts were constructed to defend them from the natives; by whom the Asiatics were finally overpowered; or with whom they eventually intermixed,

LOUISIANA.

Louisiana was first discovered in 1541, by Ferdinand de Soto. Monsieur de la Salle explored the Mississippi in 1682, and named the country, in honour of Louis the Fourteenth, Louisiana. A French settlement was begun, in 1699, by Ibberville.

In consequence of the very extravagant accounts, circulated in Europe, of the country about the Mississippi, a large colony of labourers from Germany, France and Switzerland, (1719) settled on the island of Orleans; but so unhealthy was the district where they had planted themselves, that they perished in a short time by hundreds.

The trade of the country, which was, however, mostly nominal, had been for several years held by a company, till in 1731 it was relinquished into the hands of the French government: in whose quiet possession it remained till 1762, excepting frequent contests with the savages.

1720. The Spaniards of New-Mexico, with intention to overawe the French, diminish their trade with the Indians, and limit their boundaries, laid a plan for planting a large colony on the Missouri. A vast number, to carry into effect this intention, left Santa Fe, and took up their march towards the Missouri, intending to engage the Osage Indians, (a large and warlike nation, several hundred miles above the confluence of