152 



drawn from E on the northern side of the indenture of 

 the eastern ravine to the projecting extreme western point 

 of the fort at H. 



These depressions vary in width from ten to twenty-five 

 or thirty feet, and are irregularly arranged, as shown by 

 the accompanying engraving, where they are represented 

 by the black circles. One of the six depressions oppo- 

 site the indenture of the eastern ravine is oval in shape, 

 and is the only one that is not nearly circular, the others 

 varying but a foot or two in their diameters. 



Two of these depressions were dug into and it was found 

 that they were evidently once large pits that had gradually 

 been tilled by the hand of time with the accumulation of 

 vegetable matter and soil that had been deposited by nat- 

 ural action alone. In some instances large trees are now 

 growing in the pits and their many roots make digging 

 difficult. A trench was dug across one pit (J) throwing 

 out the soil carefully until the former bottom of the pit 

 was reached at a depth of about live feet. On this bottom 

 ashes and burnt clay gave evidence of an ancient tire, 

 and at a l\-\v feet on one side several pieces of pottery, a 

 few bones of animals, and one stone arrowhead were 

 found. A spot had evidently been .-truck where food had 

 been cooked and eaten, and though there was not time to 

 open other pits there is no doubt but that they would tell 

 a similar story, and the legitimate conclusion to be drawn 

 from the facts is that these pits were the houses of the 

 inhabitants or defenders of the fort, who were probably 

 further protected from the elements, and tin; arrows of 

 assailants, by a roof of logs and bark or boughs. The 

 great number of the pits would show that they were for a 

 definite and general purpose and their irregular arrange- 

 ment would indicate that they were not laid out with the 

 sole idea of acting as places of defence, though those near 



