MONUMENTS OF THE NORTH-WEST. 129 



The supplementary section, A, exhibits the excavation made by Mr. Taylor in 

 the large central mound. " A shaft was sunk about midway from the top to the 

 bottom of the mound. At the depth of eight feet the original sod was reached; it 

 here assumes a different appearance from that which it possesses at the exposed 

 .surface, is hard and compact, resembling what is technically denominated ' hard 

 pan,' caused perhaps by the pressure of the superincumbent earth. The mound is 

 composed of ferruginous sand ; and as it is free from any admixture, and is destitute 

 of any appearance of stratification, it must have been built at one time, and 

 not by contributions at intervals. The original sod is here about six inches 

 thick ; beneath it is the regular stratification of the plain. A shaft was carried 

 along the original level for the space of fourteen feet, and some distance beyond 

 the centre of the mound; but no remains of any kind were discovered." 



PLATE XLIII. 



Number 1. — This interesting group of remains is situated in the village of 

 Muscoda, (English Prairie,) Grant county, Wisconsin. It is described as follows, 

 by Mr. S. Taylor : " The late cultivation of these grounds has in a measure 

 obliterated these works, many of them being in the streets and commons ; and the 

 village in its future increase may destroy them entirely. In the group are three 

 figures in the form of a cross [bird ?] ; in the centre of the largest of them is 

 a depression, perhaps caused by an Indian cache. The outlines of the various 

 figures are easily traced, although their elevation at this time does not exceed 

 thirty inches. From the excavations around many of them, it is apparent thai 

 they must have been constructed with materials obtained adjacent to them. Some 

 of these mounds however seem to have successfully resisted the abrasions of time ; 

 those towards the south-western portion of the group are six feet in height. The 

 distance, from one to the other of the group here represented, is about four hundred 

 and sixt}" yards. The site is a beautiful arenaceous loam, free from trees and 

 shrubbery, so that a view of the entire group is commanded from the summit of 

 some of the more prominent mounds. Human bones have been found in many of 

 these." 



Number 2 is situated on the north-east part of Sec. 35 N., and is within a mile 

 of the Wisconsin river. It occupies an eminence, and is the centre of a group of 

 mounds, fifteen in number, extending the distance of three hundred yards, and placed 

 flt intervals of about twenty-five feet apart. " It appears to have been originally 

 constructed as represented by the dotted lines, having at those points an elevation 

 of about three feet. Additional earth seems then to have been heaped upon the 

 head and breast, elevatins those points to the iieight of six feet." 



17 



