352 ETHNOLOGY. 



ou this question. There is a considerable space of ground, nearly two 

 hundred yards distant, where it seems manifest that the upper stratum 

 of the surface soil has been carried away. A uniform upper stratum 

 of soil is common to a large extent in this bottom-laud, but in this oue 

 spot this layer is gone. It seems, therefore, probable that the earth of 

 which these mounds weffe constructed was all carried from this place. 

 An approximate estimate of the cubical quantity of the superficial earth 

 removed from this depression, corresponds closely to what seems to 

 have been the original quantity in the recent mounds. It is difficult to 

 understand what motive could induce human beings to impose on them- 

 selves such a task as to carry such an amount of earth two hundred 

 yards. But if the amount of material necessary to erect these mounds 

 had been taken from any immediate piece of ground on this uniform sur- 

 face, some depressions would have remained as evidence of it. But at 

 the distance of two hundred yards we find this depression, which is 

 nearly as hard to account for by any natural process as it would be to 

 explain the mounds themselves by natural agencies. 



There is another quite extensive range of mounds in the same town- 

 ship, on grounds bordering a stream of water called Eliza Creek. So 

 far as I have observed, this group seems to relate to a very ancient 

 period of time. Few of the mounds, to my knowledge, have been opened. 

 I am told that traces of ashes have been found in them, and, in some 

 of them, human remains in a much decayed condition. 



Another very extensive range of mounds is located in the township 

 of New Boston, which is the next township south of Eliza. These are ou 

 the south side of the Edwards Eiver, where this stream winds its course 

 across the higher bottom-lands of the Mississippi. The ground of these 

 mounds has beeu under cultivation for many years, hence but obscure 

 traces of them now remain. Their location was on the open prairie, 

 about a half-mile from the timber-grounds bordering the Edwards. 



Broken pottery, pipes, and some implements were found by early 

 settlers in the vicinity of these structures; but I have been unable to 

 learn with certainty whether these were disinterred from the mounds 

 themselves. 



There is, however, one circumstance in connection with this group 

 of earthworks that should not be passed unnoticed. Between them 

 and the Edwards is a long range of depressions in the ground. This 

 range of depressions runs nearly parallel to the range of mounds, and 

 is about forty rods distant. The size of these hollows seems to cor- 

 respond very nearly with the size of the adjacent mounds. The con- 

 jecture seems unavoidable that from each of these depressions sufficient 

 earth was carried to construct a single mound. These excavations 

 have no raised borders to indicate that the earth was merely thrown 

 out; they indicate that so much earth has been really talcen away; and, 

 further, I learn that the number of these depressions corresponds quite 



