FortHillFig。5，p。39risesfromaneminenceoverlookingalittlerivercalledPaintCreek；thewallsvaryinheightfromeighttofifteenfeet，andexceedthirtyfeetinthickness。[234]Severaldoorsfacilitateentrance，andoneofthemleadstoasquareENCIENTE，thewallsofwhichhavebeenalmostentirelydestroyed。Thisenclosureprobablycontainedthehomesofthepeople，whichmayhavebeenmerecabinsofadobesorsun-burntbricks，orbutscoveredwithrushes，interlacedbranches，ortheskinsofanimals；onthispointwearereducedtoguesswork。Inthecentreoftheprincipalenclosurecanbemadeout，inalmosteverycase，severalmuchsmallerenclosures，eachcontainingintheirturnoneormoremounds。Somethinkthesewereconsecratedtoreligiousrites，butthisisamereconjecture，fornothingisreallyknownoftheformofgovernmentorofthereligionoftheMound-Builders。
Foresttreeshavegrownupontheseabandonedruins，succeedingothervegetablegrowths；thehugegirthofthedecayingtrunksprovingtheirlongevity。Man，impelledbymotiveswecannotfathom，hadabandonedthedistrictswhereeverythingbearswitnesstohispowerandintelligence，andthevigorousvegetationofnatureoncemorehasitallitsownway。
ThemostremarkablegroupofprehistoricfortificationsinNorthAmericaisperhapsthatnearNewark，inthevalleyoftheScioto。ItincludesanoctagonalENCEINTEeightyacresinarea，asquareENCEINTE
oftwentyacres，withtwoothers，onetwentytheotherthirtyacresinextent。Thewallsofthegreatcirclearestilltwelvefeethighbyfiftyfeetwideatthebase。Theyareprotectedbyaninteriorfossesevenfeetdeepbythirty-fivefeetwide。AccordingtomeasurementscarefullymadebyColonelWhittlesey，[235]thetotalareacoveredbytheseintrenchmentsisnolessthantwelvesquaremiles，andthelengthofthemoundsexceedstwomiles。Thelargeentrancesprotectedbymoundsthirty-fivefeethigh，theavenuesleadingtothemwhichareregularlabyrinths，thequaintlyshapedmounds——one，forinstance，representsthefootofagiganticbird——allcombinetostrikethevisitorwithastonishment。WegivearepresentationFig。86ofagroup，notunlikethatwehavejustdescribed，whichissituatedatLibertyOhio，andincludestwocirclesandonesquare。Thediameterofthegreatcircleis1，700feet，anditenclosesanareaoffortyacres，whilstthatofthesmallerENCEINTEIS500feet；theareaofthesquare，eachsideofwhichmeasures1，080feet，istwenty-sevenacres。Thewallsarenotstrengthenedbyanyditch，and，contrarytogeneralusage，theearthofwhichtheyaremadewasdugoutfromtheinsideoftheENCIENTEitself。WemayalsomentionOldFortGreenupCounty，Kentucky，successivelydescribedbyCalebAtwater，Squier，andJ。H。Lewis。Itissituatedfortyfeetabovetheriver，andthetotallengthofthewallsexceeds3，175feet。Sixentrancesgiveaccesstoit，andinthecentrerisesamoundrepresentingsomeanimal，abearprobably，measuringmorethan105feet。Severalsmallmounds，beneathwhichwerefoundhumanbones，clusteraboutthelargerone。
GroupatLibertyOhio。