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Show • JOURNAL. CI-IAP. III. Saturday 1st Seftt. 1804. We renewed ~our voyage early; passed high bluffs on the south side, and , high prairie land on the north ; on -this side, the bill.s come close to the river; and are so neat· on both sides, as not to be more than two miles from each other. During last night we bad hard wind and some rain, which continues to fall occasionally during the day.- About l o'clock we passed a rich prairie on th.e south side, and encamped on the north side, at the lower end of an island. Sunday 2nd. At 1 o'clock last night we had hard thundet·, lightning and rain, which continued e\bout two hours. 'Ve set out early in the morning, along the no1·th side of the island : there is handsome prairie land on the south. 'fhree of out· men went on tho i~land to hunt. When we landed for breakfast we lteai·d several guns fired on the island, and saw six L ~Ik swimming across the river about a mile above where we had halted. '1-,vo of our men went up and killed one of them ; those on the island killed three. About twel ve, the wind blew so hard down the river, that we could not proceed, and we landed on the nol'th side, where there is an extensive prairie. It was cloudy and rained till 4· when it cleared up. Vve remained here iot· the night and dried our meat. On the bank opposite ou1· camp is an ancient fortifi· cation or breastwot·k, similar to those which have been occasionally discovered on the western water~ . The two ends l'lln at ri!!bt ano-les to the river and ·~ L> ' ~he outsid.e, which is 2500 yards in length, parallel t<;> It : there 1s no breast work thrown up next to the ri.,. JOURNAL. ver, the bank as is supposed, serving as a sufficient defence on that side.* }.lfonday 3d. We set out early, and had a clear day ; passed yellow bluffs on the north side and a small cr.cek, called Plumb creek. 1-Iere the river turns at right angles to the left, till it reaches the hills on the south side, then winds g1·adually to the right. There is no timber in this part of the eountry ; but continued pt·airie on both sides of the river. A person by going on one of the hills may have a view as far as the eye can reach without any obst ruction, or interl'ening object ; and enjoy the most delightful prospects. During this day's voyage we found the hills vn the opposite sides of the river generalJy not more than two miles apart, and the river meandering through them in various directions. vVe encamped on the ~outh side. Tuesday 4th. \Ve proceeded early on om· voyage, passed a creek on the south side about 30 yards wide, ·• The description of this Breastwo rl~ co~·respond~ exa~tly ,,·ith the accounts g-iven of numerous antlent fortdicatLOnl d iscovered in the W estern Country, which are knowP and represented to be generally of an oblong ~orm, s:tuate on str6ng and well chosen ground, and cont1guons to wateJ·. These worl:s from the examinations whieh hnve been made. are supposecL to have been erected more than lOOOyears fl g'O; or 700 before the discovery of Americ a by Co1L11.1 bt1s. They· appear to have existed about t hC' same pej·;ocl. throug-hout all, or the grea.tertpa.rt ofthat vast tarct of Count1·y bound e~ by the Allegh::my Mountains on the east ,,1,d ~l ~ c Rocky Mount ains on the west, and incluclin ~ th-- most favo , q·~ble latitudes of' North America. Perhaps snrnc h:w~ been follnd east of the Alleghany Mountains. Il n.ve numerous antiPnt nations, more civilized and disposed to lab0\11' than any of the modem I ndian tribes, illhabited this Cotmtr~ · ? And have these fortincati oP.s been thei1· humbl.: Rubst itntes fi>J' the "\Ya.llerl and fortifiecl Cities of the o1(1 wnrld in rt>mote rqr,cs ? Or, has thii been the Homan Empire of1hc ~cw \V~rld ~ and hns it bec·n dest roH:ll by o thcl' hot·des ot barbart:tns, a.s fierce and cruel as th.osc ,.., ho ~lcstroyctl that of the old |