1894.] NATUKAf; SCIKNCKS OV Pini-ADRI.l'III A. 310 



The trench was cleaned to the oritriiial surface an-l cxperiniental 

 holes were sunk even to the shale. There were no l)urials l)eU)w the 

 original surface. 



"The ground had been levelled and burnt, thus giving (he mound 

 an even floor or base. In nearly all mounds of the lower Scioto 

 this peculiarity of construction is observeil. It is, therefore, very 

 easy to keep upon the base line. 



"A bed of ashes was discovered about four feet from the l)ottom on 

 the northwest side of the trench. In it were bits of charcoal of ex- 

 ceedingly bright lustre and as hard as bituminous coal. The asii 

 bed was everywhere covered with a thin layer of reddish bark. It 

 was impossible to preserve the bark in sections larger than two l)y 

 three inches. The earth below the ashes was burnt a bright brick 

 red. The ashes varied from three inches in thickness to a feather 

 edge, but a quarter of an inch thick. The earth covered by them 

 extended over ten by six feet. 



" It was near the northwestern edge of the asli bed that we found 

 the end of a large log. Numerous small logs were found above and 

 around this large one, but it did not appear that they were laid with 

 any regularity. They did not seem to be as large as those reported 

 by the men who dug the first hole in the mound. 3Iost of them 

 were six or eight inches in diameter, and six feet in length. They 

 were badly rotted and only a few fragments were saved. Possibly 

 by the use of plaster of Paris sections might have been secured 

 several feet in length, but the ends were so decayed that they would 

 not have shown whether or not they wei'e cut by stone axes. As soon 

 as tlie end of the log was uncovered the men were set to work upon 

 the ash bed with hand trowels, and they dug over the ground very 

 carefully for more than a day but found nothing of importance. The 

 ashes were very white, and resulted from the burning of large 

 quantities of wood. 



" When the end of the log was uncovered it appeared to be fifteen 

 or sixteen inches in diameter, and being accidentally struck by a pick, 

 we were rejoiced to hear it ring as though of sound fresh wood. Wo 

 were compelled to spend three days more and to cut down the bank 

 between the log and the edge of the mound outside so that the teams 

 could pass in and out. By these two excavations (both were 

 widened) we moved two-thirds of the earth in the mound. Near 

 the log the earth on all sides was very loose, and in the f>)rni of clods 



