In addition to these, many small tubes, bands, and articles of wrought copper of various kinds have been found, the purposes of which are not apparent, and which it would be tedious to describe. Greatly reduced sketches of several of these are herewith presented.
Fig. 95.
The metal was sometimes very ingeniously used in repairing broken articles of stone, etc., as will shortly be seen. One or two stone pipes have been discovered which seem to have been completely encased, so as to present an unbroken metallic surface. The overlapping edges, in these cases, were so polished down as scarcely to be discoverable.
Silver, as has already been remarked, seems to have been possessed in very small quantities by the mound-builders. Indeed, within the entire range of these investigations, it has been discovered in but a single instance,—namely, in the remarkable “pipe mound,” numbered 8 in the plan of “Mound City.” It was here found, reduced to extreme thinness, (not exceeding in thickness ordinary foolscap paper,) and plated, or rather wrapped, over sundry copper beads and a few other ornaments of the same material. The whole amount discovered would probably not exceed an ounce in weight.
Fig. 96.
From the mound above mentioned were taken a number of large beads, the size and shape of which are accurately shown in the accompanying engraving. They are composed of shell, now completely calcined, and seem to have been carefully enveloped with sheet copper and afterwards with thin slips of p208 silver, so as to completely cover the surface. Some of the beads exhibit both the copper and silver partially melted off. The heat of the fire, upon the altar where they were found, had been sufficiently intense, towards the centre, to melt considerable masses of copper.
Besides these beads, several star-shaped ornaments were found. They are also composed of shell, bound together by an envelope of sheet copper, over which the silver slips are carefully folded, so as to leave their overlapping edges scarcely perceptible. A small hole passed through the centre of these unique ornaments, by which they were fastened in such positions as the taste of the possessor suggested.
Silver crosses, it has several times been observed, have been discovered with the recent deposits in the mounds. The accompanying engraving illustrates their