THE PIvANT WORLD 221 



one hundred yards while the height is approximately one hundred feet. 

 The summit is about twenty feet in width. The sides are precipitous, 

 while the ends are of gentle slope, which condition has been turned to 

 account in locating a driveway from the northwest to the summit for the 

 pleasure of the view there presented. This portion of the mound may 

 be said to be double-headed, there being a slight depression about mid- 

 way of the summit ridge with corresponding slight contractions on the 

 sides, thus giving a two-humped appearance. Immediately southeast of 

 the larger part and attached to it by a short neck is the smaller part of 

 the mound, which extends from the northeast to the southwest. The 

 length and width are each about the same as the like dimensions of the 

 larger part, namely two hundred yards, while the height is probably less 

 than fifty feet. The summit is broad and triple-headed, the necks 

 however being only slight depressions and the sides gently sloping. 



The entire hill is composed of sand and fine gravel, there being no 

 surface soil, the gravel everywhere appearing between the clumps of 

 grass and flowers. A few boulders of medium size are to be seen on the 

 summit and sides. The drift material consists of limestone, Sioux 

 quartzite, granite, porphyry, all thrown together in any ratio and loosely 

 cemented with iron and lime. Krosion apparently has accomplished 

 little since the hill was left stranded on the plain by the retreating 

 glaciers. 



This mound has long been noted as the " hill of mourning." Nicol- 

 let explains this by the following : ' ' Otcheyedan — a name derived from 

 a small hill, the literal meaning of which is ' the spot where they cry'; 

 alluding to the custom of the Indians to repair to elevated situations to 

 weep over their dead relatives." — Nicollet Report, p. 27. 



From the summit toward the west and south one may behold the 

 magnificent view of the drift plain which stretches away for miles. This 

 plain is nearly free from boulders and there are no trees save a few in 

 small groves planted by the settlers. To the north, east, and northwest 

 low hills with occasional lakes or marshes and the planted groves are to 

 be seen. One marsh lies immediately at the base of the mound on the 

 north side. 



It was the 19th day of June, 1904, when the writer visited the mound. 

 The flora at this time of the year while somewhat mixed is prevailingly 

 a prairie one. On the summit Stipa spartea Triu., which was growing in 

 patches and was in fruit, and Aster sericeiisV&L\\.., in leaf, were common. 

 Frequent species were Oxytropis la^ttberti Pursh, Rosa arkayisaiia Porter, 

 and Koeleria cristata Pers. Psoralia esadenta Pursh was occasionally to 

 be seen. Zygadenus elegans Pursh was scarce. Echinacea angtistifolia 

 DC. was infrequent and only coming into leaf. 



The flora of the north side comprised as common species Amorpha 



