American Antiquities: Corroborative of the Book of Mormon (3 September 1859)

AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES,

CORROBORATIVE OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

(Continued from page 546.)

(From J. Carver’s Journal of Travels in North America, published in London in 1778.)

“One day, having landed on the shore of the Mississippi, some miles below Lake Pepin, whilst my attendants were preparing my dinner, I walked out to take a view of the adjacent country. I had not proceeded far before I came to a fine, level, open plain, on which I perceived, at a little distance, a partial elevation that had the appearance of an entrenchment. On a nearer inspection, I had greater reason to suppose that it had really been intended for this many centuries ago. Notwithstanding it was now covered with grass, I could plainly discern that it had once been a breastwork of about four feet in height, extending the best part of a mile, and sufficiently capacious to cover five thousand men. Its form was somewhat circular, and its flanks reached to the river. Though much defaced by time, every angle was distinguishable, and appeared as regular and fashioned with as much military skill as if planned by Vauban himself. … From the depth of the bed of earth by which it was covered, I was able to draw certain conclusions of its great antiquity.”

(From Mangi’is MS. “Diary" of a Visit to the Ruins on the Gila in the year 1694; extracted in Schoolcraft's “History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes.”)

“There was one edifice, with the principal room in the middle of four stories, and the adjoining rooms on its four sides of three stories, with the walls two yards in thickness, of strong mortar and clay, so smooth and shining within that they appear like burnished tables, and so polished that they shone like the earthenware of Puebla. At the distance of an arquebuss shot, twelve other houses are to be seen, also half fallen, having thick walls, and all the ceilings burnt, except in the lower room of one house, which is of round timbers, smooth and not thick, which appeared to be of cedar or savin, and over them sticks Of very equal size, and a cake of mortar and hard clay, making a roof or ceiling of great ingenuity. In the environs are to be seen many other ruins and heaps of broken earth, which circumscribe it two leagues, with much broken earthenware of plates and pots of fine clay, painted of many colours, and which resemble the jars of Guadalajara, in Spain. It may be inferred that the population or city of this body politic was very large; and that it was of one government is shown by a main canal which comes from the river by the plain, running around for the distance of three leagues, and inclosing the inhabitants in its area, being in breadth ten veras, [about 27 feet,] and about four in depth; through which, perhaps, was directed one-half the volume of the river, in such a manner that it might serve for a defensive moat, as well as to supply the wards with water, and irrigate the plantations in the adjacencies.”

(From “Father Pedro Font’s [MS.] Journal from Orcasitas, in Sonora, to Monteroy. California, in 1775, ’76, ’77; extracted in Schoolcraft’s ”History. Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes.")

“The Commandant determined that we should rest to-day, and thus we bad au opportunity to examine the large building called Montezuma's House [with ‘its ruins’], situated at the distance of one league from the river Gila, and three leagues E.S.E. of the Laguna. … The ruins of the houses which composed this town extend more than a league towards the east and other cardinal points; and all this land is partially covered with pieces of pots, jars, plates, etc., some common, and others painted of different colours—white, blue, red, etc.; which is a sign that this has been a large town inhabited by a distinct people from the Pimos of the river, who do not know how to manufacture such earthenware. We made an exact survey of this edifice and of its situation, which we measured in the meantime with a lance; and this meausre I afterwards reduced to geometrical feet, which gave a little more or less than the following result. The house forms an oblong square, facing exactly to the four cardinal points— east, west, north, and south; and round about it there are ruins indicating a fence or wall, which surrounded the house and other buildings, particularly in the corners, where it appears there has been some edifice like an interior castle or watch-tower; for in the angle which faces towards the south-west there stands a ruin, with its divisions and an upper story. The exterior wall extends from north to south 420 feet, and from east to west 260 feet. The interior of the house consists of fine halls; the three middle ones being of one size, and the two extreme ones longer. The three middle ones are 26 feet in length from north to south, and ten feet in breadth from east to west. The two extreme ones measure twelve feet from north to south, and 38 feet from east to west.”

(From an American publication.)

“The antiquities of America extend from the eastern shores of Maine and Massachusetts to the Pacific, and from the great Jakes and British dominions to Peru and La Plata, in South America,—in fact, throughout the extent of both continents. Immense forests grow over the ruins of large cities, and the gigantic size of the trees, with indications that other generations of trees sprung up and grew before them, prove that the ruins were in existence before the Christian era. In every portion of the United States, interesting ruins have been discovered. In the State of New York have been found sculptured figures of one hundred animals of different species, executed in a style far superior to anything exhibited by any of the existing tribes of Indians. The State of Ohio abounds in ruins of towers and fortifications, with extensive mounds and pyramids. At Marietta, in this State, beautiful pottery, silver and copper ornaments, and pearls of great beauty and lustre have been dug up from the earth. In the caves of Tennessee and Kentucky, mummies have been found in a high state of preservation, clothed with clothes and skins of various texture, inlaid with feathers. Like discoveries have been made at Carrolton, near Milwaukee, in the State of Wisconsin: ruins of huge fortifications appear. Similar ruins appear in the State of Missouri. On the south side of the Missouri River, in the western portion of this State, is an inclosure of some 500 acres, which includes the ruin of a building (no doubt ancient tower,) with walls 150 feet high, and 80 feet wide at the base; attached to which are a redoubt and a citadel, with work much resembling the structure of a tower in Europe. But it is in the south of Mexico that magnificent and beautiful ruins present themselves in great abundance. … The most extensive ruins are to be found at Uxmal and Palenque, in the south-east of Mexico. At Uxmal are immense pyramids, coated with stone, and quadrangle stone edifices and terraces. The highest of those pyramids is 130 feet, and on the summit it supports a temple; and on the facades of the temple are four human figures, cut in stone with great exactness and elegance. The hands are crossed upon the breast, the head is covered in something like a helmet, about the neck is a garment of the skin of an alligator, and over each body is a figure of death’s head and bones. At Palenque are immense ruins—a city of great extent, with the remains of a royal palace. One temple, that of Copan, was 520 feet by 650, and supposed to have been as large as St. Peter’s at Rome. Another temple of great dimensions is here, having an entrance by a portico 100 feet long and 10 feet broad; it stands on an elevation of 60 feet. The pillars of the portico are adorned with hieroglyphics and other devices. Different objects of worship have been found—representations of the gods who were worshipped in this country. These temples, with fourteen large buildings and many other objects of curiosity, stand here as monuments of ancient greatness, to remind us of the remote origin of a mighty empire. This city has been described as the Thebes of America, and travellers have supposed that it must have been 60 miles in circumference, and contained a population of three millions of souls. Centuries must have elapsed and dynasties succeeded each other before such orders of architecture were introduced, and a length of time must have passed before an empire would become sufficiently powerful to erect such temples and possess a city of such vast extent. In looking back to the past, we feel interested in the imagination that this people was once in the noon-day of glory, enjoying all the fruits and luxuries of an advanced civilization. … In this country is exhibited the largest pyramid in the world— that of Cholula, near Puebla. It covers 40 acres, and is about 200 feet high. On its summit was a temple, and in the interior has been discovered a vault, roofed with beams of wood, containing skeletons and idols. Several smaller pyramids surround this large one. It appears to have been formed by cutting a hill into an artificial shape. Its dimensions are immense, being nearly three miles in circumference, and about 400 feet high. It is divided into terraces and slopes, covered with platforms, stages, and bastions, elevated one above the other, and all formed with large stones skilfully cut and joined without any cement. In some respects the style of architecture resembles the Gothic, being massive and durable; in other respects it resembles the Egyptian; yet the general construction, manner, and style of architecture is different front anything hitherto described in the world. As in Egypt, hieroglyphics on stone denote remarkable events, which no man has yet been able to decipher. Architecture, sculpture, painting, and all the arts that adorn civilized life have flourished in this country at a period far remote. There is evidence sufficient to prove that those cities were in ruins at least 36 or 18 hundred years ago. In Palenque is the remains of an altar, over which grows an immense cedar, whose powerful roots enshrine it. The whole city is overgrown with mahogany and cedar trees of enormous size. The cocentric circle of some of these trees— the well known cycles for a year—have been counted, which showed that they were more than 1,800 years old; and there were indications of another generation of trees having sprung up before them. How few reflect on the fact that America is an old dominion, the seat of an ancient mighty empire!”