brick and a few framed ones now building. I reckoned only six taverns with signs, which small proportion of houses of that description, speaks volumes in favour of the place. There are fourteen stores, a post-office, and two printing-offices, which each issues a gazette weekly.[141]
The scite of the town being on a gravelly soil, the streets are generally clean. The houses are of freestone, brick, or timber clap-boarded, the first of which is got in the neighbourhood, is of a whitish brown colour, and excellent for building. They are mostly very good and are well painted.
On the whole I think Chilicothe is not exceeded in beauty of plan, situation, or appearance, by any town I have seen in the western part of the United States.
There is a remarkable Indian monument in Mr. Watchup's garden in the very heart of the town.—Like that at Grave creek, it is circular at the base, about seventy or eighty feet diameter, but differs from that, by being round, instead of flat on the top, which has an elevation of about thirty feet perpendicular from the level of the plain. It is formed of clay, and though it has been perforated by the proprietor, nothing has been found to justify the common opinion of these mounts having been barrows or cemeteries. They talk of having it levelled, as it projects a little into Market street, but I think it a pity to destroy any of the very few vestiges of aboriginal population, which this country presents to the curious and inquisitive traveller.
From a steep hill, about three hundred feet perpendicular height, just outside the western extremity of the town, is a most charming view of the streets immediately below, under the eye like a plan on paper: Then the Scioto, from one hundred to one hundred {196} and fifty yards wide, winding
