648 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 4G. 



other words, no pieces of "cloth marked" pottery were found. 

 Therefore, for reasons to be given on another page, it is evident this 

 was a comparatively late Indian settlement, more recent than the 

 camp between the salt spring and the Saline. A thorough exam- 

 ination of this site would probably prove of great interest. 



The salt spring is on the flood plain of the Saline, or rather of the 

 Mssissippi, near the foot of the second terrace wliich here attains 

 an elevation of about 30 feet. Before the space in the vicinity of the 

 spring was modified by the accumulation of ashes, and before the 

 wagon road was made, the surface sloped gradually from the brow 

 of the higher land to the edge of the spring. Scattered over the 

 surface of the sloping land are many fragments of small pottery ves- 

 sels, some bearing traces of red pigment and others being pieces of a 

 thin, black ware of superior quality. Numerous stone implements 

 have been found here, and all signs point to this having been, at 

 some former day, a favorite spot. No excavations were made here 

 during the recent investigations, although the results would prob- 

 ably have been very interesting. 



In making the road, less than 100 feet from the spring, the hillside 

 was cut away to a depth of from 4 to 6 feet. Several fii-e beds were 

 exposed by this cut, and may be traced on the side of the excavation. 

 A curious pit was likewise cut through at a point almost due north 

 of the spring. This is shown on plate 51. As will be seen, it has a 

 circular bottom, and the excavation was probably circular in hori- 

 zontal section. Its extreme width is about 4 feet 6 inches. It was 

 filied with wood ashes, particles of charcoal, and pieces of large pot- 

 tery vessels. Its sides could not be traced through the upper 18 

 inches of earth and mingled pottery, stones, and ashes, but this may 

 be attributed to the use of the plow and the gradual accumulation of 

 soil washed down from the higher ground. The sides and bottom of 

 the pit did not show any evidence of the action of fire; there was no 

 discoloration of the clay as would have resulted had this been a fire- 

 place. This was probably a cache, or pit, where grain or other pos- 

 sessions of the tribe, were stored. The Kaskaskia, at their old village 

 on the banks of the Illinois, followed this custom, and in describing 

 their settlement as it appeared in 1679 it was written: "Every Cot- 

 tage has two Appartments, wherein several Families might lodge, 

 and under every one of them there is a Cave or Vault, wherein they 

 preserve their Indian-Corn, of wliich we took a sufficient quantity, 

 because we wanted Provisions." ^ 



The camp or village sites already described are located on the left 

 bank of the Saline, but the peninsula between this stream and the 

 Mississippi, O on map (fig. 1), was evidently occupied by a com- 



1 Tontl, An Account of Monsieur de la Salle's Last Expedition and Discoveries in North America, 

 London, 1698, p. 29. 



