in America, are chiefly in the State of Ohio, between Cleveland and Zanesville.

They are in appearance like those I have seen in Cornwall, some larger, some smaller; and raised for the same purpose, to cover the bones or ashes of the dead. But the question is, who or what people could have raised them? And how came those people extinct? I have been informed that the Indians know nothing of the history of those Mounds, of their origin, or use. Nor is it probable that they should, who have no arts, sciences, or Mechanics among them. Those sons of the Forest live chiefly by hunting and fishing, do not appear to have any implements fit for such work; nor is there any such custom of burying among them. The existence of those Barrows affords a subject for the antiquarian's disquisitiɔn.

In the civilized part of the world, they have been supposed to have been raised to afford protection and do honour to the remains of the deceased. The history of Cornwall says, that "Among the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, some account of these ancient monuments stands on record. According to Livy, Claudius Nero buried his own soldiers after this manner in the second Punic war, and Cesar Germanicus brought the first turf to raise a Barrow over the fallen troops of Varius. Among all the northern nations this mode of interment prevailed. The ancient Britons, Romans, Saxons, and Danes, have left traces of these monuments behind them. The situation, and relative position of these monuments, are not less diversified than the manner in which the structures are finished. If these monuments were for private persons, they were generally, it is supposed, placed near some public road: but if they contained the remains of soldiers that fell in battle, the scene of conflict became the scene of interment; and on those plains in which the contending parties fought, they are sometimes found in straight lines, which seem to resemble the front of an army. The Barrows which contain the remains of distinguished personages, are chiefly known by the magnitude of their dimensions, the ground on which they stand, and the solitude of their situations.

The most ancient Barrow of which we have any account upon record, is that of Ninus who founded the Assyrian empire. This prince, according to Diodorus SicuJus, was buried in the royal palace by order of his wite Semiramis, who caused a Mound of earth to be raised over him. Tydeus the father of Diomed, who was slain in the Theban war, was buried under an earthen Barrow; and it seems to have been a prevailing custom, both with the Greeks and Trojans, to bury their soldiers and Generals in the same manner during the siege of Troy.

If we turn from prophane to Sacred history, we shall find the same customs recorded. When all Israel stoned Achan, and burned him and his family with fire, after they had stoned him with stones,

66

they raised over him And the king

a great heap of stones unto this day.' of Ai Joshua hanged on a tree until even-tide; and as soon as the sun was down, "Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day."+ And when Absalom was slain, we read that they "cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him."

In Cornwall some Mounds, or Barrows of earth have been opened, wherein Urns containing human remains have been found, and in others ashes supposed to be human. That Mound formerly called One Barrow, or One Borough, on St. Austell down, levelled in the year 1801, recorded in a modern history of Cornwall, inclosed near its centre some slate stones inclosing nearly a square area, and covered with a flat free-stone. On opening this little square was found dark coloured mould, or damp ashes; on stirring up which appeared small pieces of bones, some resembling pieces of a human skull. The whole contents of this little vault, were computed to be about two gallons; which the workmen carried to a hedge near, then in building, and buried with the supporting stones, and covering stone, in nearly the same position as they found it: there, if undisturbed, to wait the trumpet's sound.

* Joshua vii, 26. ↑ Joshua viii. 29. 2 Samuel xviii. 17.

I lately conversed with a man called W. Bennet of St. Agness in Cornwall, who intormed me, that about fifteen years ago he saw a Barrow, or Borough, opened in that. parish, near a place called Mithian, and on the Manor of Mithian, where was found an Urn containing ashes. He described the Urn like unto a large pickling pot, containing about four gallons, a stone on the top, and nearly two thirds full of ashes.

I did not understand, that opened near Danville (mentioned before) on Mr. George Sap's farm, contained any Urn, or stone box for human ashes; but it had the appearance of the body or bodies having been interred whole, and not first burnt.

From the foregoing comparison between the Mounds in America, and those in England, there is a great likeness, not only in their outward appearance, but also in their use. In America they are of very unequal size, ([ have seen several) so they are in England. In England when opened they bear the marks of being sepulchres; so is it in America Now if the Indians, had no knowledge of the working of metals, before the Europeans came among them, and as their chiefs say they have no tradition concerning those Mounds, and know not how they came there, who could have built them; and what is become of the children of those fathers whose sepulchres those Mounds are?

From other circumstances, while travelling in that very interesting country, I became convinced that, those we call American Indians, are not descendants from the Aborigines of the country: but that once that country was inhabited by a civilized, and scientific people. This Narrative records some of my reasons, and from the same records and premises the reader may form his opinion.

CHAP. XXII.

Conjectures and accounts relative to the Indians of North America probably being some of the Ten Tribes of Israel.

The following extract may be acceptable to some of

my readers, as it is likely that many of them have never seen it. I had it several years ago in manuscript of a man of letters who had copied it from a rare work, which probably has been many years out of print, entituled, Itinerarium Novi Testamenti, or The Sacred History and doctrine of the New Testament, with a Synopsis, By CHRISTOPHER BROWN, Catechist. After much search in London, I met with a second hand one; but without the Synopsis, the chief part that I desired to have. This was the third edition printed in 1753. Why the Synopsis was omitted in this edition lies out of sight. The heading to the Synopsis is as follows.

A Synopsis, or complete System of the Indian Nations; proving them out of all doubt in belief, originally Jews [Israelites] sent into captivity by the Assyrian kings.

I would willing have printed a copy here; but lest my book should get too large, I for the present confine myself to a few extracts. From their divisions into tribes,— their worship of Jehovah,-their notions of a Theocracy, their belief in the ministration of angels,-their language and dialect, some of which are in the ancient Hebrew, -their own traditions, the account of our English writers relative to those in North America, and the testimonies which the English and other authors have given concerning the primitive inhabitants of Peru, Mexico, &c. hence we may learn the ancient and modern state of the Jewish nations, and that the finding out of America was the beginning of the restoration of the Jews.

He goes on then to describe their ancient country, and why called, 1. Canaan, 2 The land of promise, 3. Land of Israel 4. Judea. 5. Palestine, 6. The holy land. And describes its uncommon richness and beauty: then of their ten captivities [by which being separated from each other, may account for their being settled in various parts of the earth] describes Jerusalem since the last dispersion of the Jews. gives an historical narration of their vast sufferings in different periods,-of the false Messiahs that appeared, and proving that Jesus of Nazareth is the true Messiah. The Jewish nation being dispersed and removed out of

their own land [no doubt finally for rejecting the true Messiah, having slain the heir, the Lord of the vineyard miserably destroyed those husband men] by the ten Captivities, the present Jews are of opinion, that the tribe of Benjamin are those who now are settled in England, Poland, Germany, Italy, Turks dominions, and the eastern parts of the Mediterranean. The tribe of Judah, they believe are settled in Portugal and Barbary.—Among others,

As to the Ten Tribes, Dr. Fletcher who was an Ambassador from Queen Elizabeth to the emperor of Russia is of opinion that they may be found among the Tartars, the word in the Assyrian tongue signifying Remnants, [or those left behind] or Remainders, some of his reasons, 1st from the place where they were carried,-cities, of the Medes, which lie near the Caspian sea, now inhabited by Tartars. 2nd. Their towns and cities, had similar names to those of the Israelites: their metropolis, or chief city is Samarchan, which travellers report has many Jewish monuments in it, and where the great Tamerlane carried about Bajazet the Turkish Emperor in an iron cage. This is but little different from Samaria, the Metropolis of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes. They have also Mount Tabor, a city called Jericho, Corazin and several other places mentioned in Scripture.

3ly. They are distinguished into several hordes, or tribes, united under one government, and communicable in all things except intermarrying to avoid confusion of kindred, except the public defence or safety make it necessary for them to join together as one people; and this division of tribes, without commixion was observed by no other nation but the Jews, is still most religiously continued amongst the Tartars

4thly. The number of their tribes is the same, which are ten in all, no more and no less than the Israelites, from one* of which it is supposed the Turks have their original.

* I question this; so do the Jews. An old Jew once told me that the Turks were the seed of Esau. I think this more probable, and consequently, that yet Jacob with his hand will lay hold on Esau's heel. W. O'B.