Chapter I

ANCIENT INHABITANTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

The Aborigines — Antiquity of the Red Indian — The Mound-builders
— Geographical Distribution of Mound-works — Frontier
Defences of the Mound-builders — Michigan Mounds — Mounds
in the North-west — On the Upper Missouri — In Dakota —
Animal Mounds of Wisconsin — Elephant Mound — Discoveries
at Davenport, Iowa — Davenport Tablet — Heart of the
Mound-builder Country — Cahokia — Resemblances to Mexico —
St. Louis and Cincinnati Works — Cincinnati Tablet — Works
in Ohio — Fortified Places — Fort Ancient — Signal Systems —
Works at Newark — The Ohio Valley — Explorations in Tennessee
— Burial in Stone Coffins — Mound Colonies in the South-east
— Mr. Anderson’s Calendar Stone — Mounds of the Lower
Mississippi Valley — Seltzertown Mound — Alabama and Georgia
Mounds — Pyramid of Kolee-Mokee — Explorations in Missouri
— Sun-dried Bricks — Remains in the South-west — Direction
of the Migration — Architectural Progress — Altar Mounds —
Mounds of Sepulture — Ancient Copper Mines — Astronomical
Knowledge.

CHAPTER II.

ANTIQUITY OF MAN ON THE WESTERN CONTINENT.

Antiquity of the Mounds — No Tradition of the Mound-builders
— Vegetation Covering the Mounds — Age of Mound Crania —
Probable Date of the Abandonment of the Mounds — Ancient
Shell-heaps — Man’s Influence on Nature — Supposed Testimony
of Geology — Agassiz on the Floridian Jaw-bone — Remains
on Santos River — The Natchez Bone — Remains on Petit
Anse Island — Brazilian Bone caves — Dr. Koch’s Pretended
Discoveries — Ancient Hearths — Age of the Mississippi Delta
— Dr. Dowler’s Discovery at New Orleans — Dr. Abbott’s
Discoveries in New Jersey — Discoveries in California —
Inter-Glacial Relics in Ohio — Crania from Mounds in the
North-west — No Evidences as yet Discovered Proving Man’s
Great Antiquity in America.

CHAPTER III.

DIVERSITY OF OPINION AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE ANCIENT
AMERICANS.

Conflict of Discovery and Dogmatism — Arabic Learning in the
VIIIth Century — Spirit of the Early Writers on America —
Common Opinion as to the Origin of the Americans — Father
Duran — Lost Tribes of Israel — Garcia — Lascarbot —
Villagutierre — Torquemada — Pineda, etc. — Abbé Domenech —
Modern Views — Pre-Columbian Colonization — Plato’s Atlantis
— Kingsborough — The “Book of Mormon” — Phœnicians — George
Jones — Greek and Egyptian Theories — The Tartars — Japanese
and Chinese Theories — Fusang — The Mongol Theory — Traces of
Buddhism — White-Man’s Land — The Northmen — The Welsh Claim.