Note 51 — PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 5)

The Indians before the arrival of the Europeans, had no notion of the use of iron, though that metal was abundant in their country. However they knew in some measure how to make use of copper. Some Dutchmen who lived here, still preserved the old account among them, that their ancestors on their first settling in New York had met with many of the Indians, who had tobacco pipes of copper, and who made them understand by signs, that they got them in the neighbourhood: afterwards the fine copper mine was discovered, upon the second river between Elizabeth-town and New York. On digging in this mine, the people met with holes worked in the mountain, out of which some copper had been taken, and they found even some tools, which the Indians probably made use of, when they endeavoured to get the metal for their pipes. Such holes in the mountains have likewise been found in some parts of Pensylvania, viz. below Newcastle towards the sea side, and always some marks of a copper ore along with them. Some people have conjectured, that the Spaniards, after discovering Mexico, sailed along the coasts of North America, and landed now and then, in order to enquire whether any gold or silver was to be met with, and that they perhaps made these holes in the mountains: but supposing them to have made such a voyage along the coasts, they could not immediately have found out the copper mines; and they probably did not stop to blast this ore, as they were bent only upon gold and silver; it is therefore almost undoubted that the Indians dug these holes: or may we be allowed to suspect that our old Normans, long before the discoveries of Columbus, came into these parts and met with such veins of copper, when they sailed to what they called the excellent Wineland,51 of which our ancient traditional records called Sagor speak, and which undoubtedly was North America. But in regard to this, I shall have occasion in the sequel better to explain my sentiments. It was remarkable, that in all those places where such holes have lately been found in the mountains, which manifestly seem to have been dug by men, they were always covered with a great quantity of earth, as if they were intended to remain hidden from strangers.