and Hudson’s Bay for the purpose of trade.  They were then extensive nations and no trace of a nation which preceded them was got from them.  The fallen tree on the top of the grand mound, judging by the concentric rings of its trunk is 150 or 200 years old, and yet its stump stands in a foot or more of mould that must have taken longer than that time to form.  Even among savage nations it would take upwards of half a dozen generations of men, to lose the memory of so great a catastrophe as the destruction of a former populous race.  Then some 400 years ago would agree with the time of extermination of the Hochelagans, or with the destruction of the Eries, who according to Labontan were blotted out before the French came to the continent.  The Hochelagans, Eries, and Takawgamis being northern in their habitat, I take it were among the last of the Toltecans who survived.  The white man but arrived upon the scene to succeed the farmer, the metal worker and the potter, who had passed away so disastrously, and to be the avenger of the lost race, in driving before him the savage red man.

THE EARLIEST MOUND.

[Illustration:  FIGURE 3.]

I believe our grand mound to be the earliest in the region of the Takawgamis.  It is the largest in the region.  It will be seen by reference to figure 3 that I arrive at its age in the following way.  Where it now stands, so striking an object, it is about one-third of a mile above the point where the Bowstring River enters the Rainy River.  If however from the top of the mound you look southward through the trees a view may be got of the silver stream of the Bowstring, coming as if directly toward the mound.  Originally no doubt this tributary flowed close by the mound, for the mound would undoubtedly be built on the extreme point.  But as from year to year the Bowstring River deposited the detritus carried down by it, it formed a bank or bar, and was gradually diverted from its course, until now, the peninsula some hundreds of yards across its base, has become upwards of a third of a mile long.  I infer that this peninsula, which I should say contains some seventy acres has been formed since the mound—­which from its position seems for observation as well as for sepulture—­was begun.  Some 200 yards down the point from the grand mound occurs another small mound.  This is some eight or ten feet high, and fifty or sixty feet across.  Along the point and close past this small mound runs an old water course, now a treeless hay meadow.  At high water in spring, as I ascertained, the river still sends its surplus water by this old channel.  My position is that the 200 yards of earth between the site of the grand mound and that of the small mound was deposited after the grand mound was begun, and before the commencement of the small mound.  Undoubtedly this small mound as well as a similar one not far up the river from the grand mound, were begun on account of the laborious work of carrying bones and earth to such a height,