m'wHORTER ANTIQUITIES OF ILLINOIS. 353 



nearly with the number of the adjacent moauds, being about one hun- 

 dred and fitty. 



Another considerable group of mounds is located in the same town- 

 ship of ]!«fc\v Boston, several miles farther up the Edwards, on high 

 terrace-ground, about a half-mile from the stream. This group was 

 entirely away from timber, the situation being formerly covered with 

 grass. For many years the ruthless plow has been leveling down these 

 ancient memorials, and fields of grain have long waved over the ashes 

 of a by-gone race. 



On the south side of Pope Creek, near where the valley of this stream 

 cuts through the Mississippi Bluffs, is quite an extensive group of mounds. 

 Some of theiu are high up on the brow of the bluffs. Nothing that I 

 can learn distinguishes this group from others already spoken of. 

 Human bones have been found in some of them. 



The next, and last, group of mounds to which we would call attention 

 is about twelve miles from the Mississippi Kiver, being the most remote 

 from that river of any group in the country. It is situated near 

 the north side of the township of Millersburgh, on the high-timbered 

 division between the Edwards Eiver and Camp Creek. Ashes and some 

 much-decayed relics of human skeletons have been found in the few 

 that have been opened. Some traces of ashes were found in the earth 

 above the human remams. 



I have made diligent inquiry of all the oldest settlers, and am unable 

 to learn that any mounds are to be found in the eastern portion of the 

 county, except that two or three isolated ones, which are reported to be 

 far up the Edwards. These I have never seen. 



Shell-heaps. — Before closing: this paper, it may be proper to state 

 that formerly very large shell-heaps existed on the high, sandy bank of 

 the Mississippi, immediately below New Boston. But it seems more 

 probable that these heaps of kitchen-refuse relate to the subsequent 

 Indian race, and not to the mound-builders. Though these shell-heaps 

 are in a considerable state of decay, enough remains of them to show that 

 the shells belong to the present species of our rivers. Broken pottery is 

 found about these heaps, and collections of burned stones, indicating old 

 camp-fires; also, abundance of flint-chips, and some broken arrows, are 

 found here, to indicate that flint-implements have been manufactured. 

 A careful inspection of these flint-chips leads to the conclusion that the 

 flint of which these implements were made was obtained from what is 

 called the " chert-bands'' of the Burlington limestone. This formation 

 crops out along the Mississippi, about forty miles below this place. 

 Probably the material for the manufacture of these implements was 

 brought up the river in canoes. 

 23 s 



