f of emigration who reached these places, has fixed
these statutes forever." By M. Oppert: "The grave of one who was
assassinated here. May God, to revenge him, strike his murderer,
cutting off the hand of his existence." We can only say of these
readings what a Hebrew Rabbi said to an indolent student, who in
reading a verse in the Psalms in the original, gave the translation of
the next verse, "Gentlemen, that is a very free translation." Besides
this, other readings have been given, all of which have the advantage
that few can contradict them.

In the Scioto valley, where there are many very interesting remains of
the Mound-builders, there are many burial mounds which have lately
been opened. In many of these, the casts of unhewn logs are still
visible, showing that the dead were placed in a rude vault, which was
afterwards covered by soil. One skeleton was found to have round the
neck several hundred beads, made mostly of marine shells, others made
of the tusks of animals and a few laminae of mica. In the same mound
from which this skeleton was taken, the vault gave strong evidence of
its having been set on fire during the burial ceremony,--the large
quantity of charcoal proving that it was suddenly quenched by the
fresh soil heaped upon it.

If these Mound-builders were Sun-worshippers, as may safely be
concluded from tablets and from rock markings, as well as from the
fact of their sacred enclosures mostly looking towards the east, where
the early rays would fall upon the altar, we may easily account for
the fire having a share In the burial ceremony. Some have concluded
that the blazing fire signified "life," and that the sudden quenching
signified "death."

Let it not be thought, however, that there are no burying places but
these few mounds. I believe the mounds of a burial character were only
for persons of distinction, while in reality there are thousands of
ancient cemeteries of vast extent, where multitudes have received
common burial. The spring freshets yearly uncover many of these,
exposing not only their bones, but many ornaments and implements that
were used by this wonderful people, and which were deposited beside
them when consigned to the silent tomb.

_Symbolic Mounds_.--There can be no mistake in affirming that the
strange mounds, so prevalent in Wisconsin, and frequently found in
other States, were the result of intention rather than accident. These
are sometimes called "Effigy Mounds." In W