348 ANTHROPOLOGY. 



No. 5. Large mound, 60 feet in diameter, 5 feet 6 inches high ; in 

 northwest quarter of southwest quarter of section 2, 30 rods, S. 45° E., 

 1V( tin mouth of Ely's Creek; 100 feet above river bed; 20 rods from 

 water's vd'tic. Decayed white oak stump, 24 inches in diameter, on 

 mound 12 feet, N. 10° W., from center. Decayed oak stump, sixteen 

 inches in diameter, 4 feet from center. Found human thigh bone by the 

 south side of stump 5 feet below surface; also shells (fresh water) and 

 upper arm bone. 



The following are the measurements taken of the skull found in mound 

 marked No. 2: Horizontal circumference, 20 inches; longitudinal arc 

 from nasal depression along middle line of skull to occipital tuberosity, 

 13 inches ; transverse measurement, 5 inches ; vertical height, 3.75 

 inches ; longitudinal measurement, 8 inches. On comparison it will be 

 found that this skull resembles in some particulars the celebrated Nean- 

 derthal or cave skull of Prussia. It was found badly decayed, and was 

 with difficulty removed. 



The description of ancient pottery found near the month of Chequest 

 Creek, given in the next article, will also answer as a description of all 

 the pottery mentioned in the foregoing. 



Since writing the above I have explored the mounds near this city on 

 the grounds of General J. M. Hederick, which are indicated in the sketch 

 north of the city of Ottumwa. There are two prominent mounds, 50 feet 

 in diameter, situated on the highest point in this vicinity; of which the 

 southern one, which we shall denominate No. 1, was rather critically ex- 

 amined. A shaft 6 feet in length and 4 feet wide was sunk in the center, 

 revealing nothing of interest to the ordinary observer; but the mere fact 

 that lew relics were found makes the mound mystery still more profound. 

 The material of which the mound was composed was foreign to the sur- 

 roundings, and had been carried there. Beyond a lew chips of Hint 

 nothing was found in it. It is of interest to note that signals could have 

 been established between this mound and those heretofore described. 



My attention had been frequently called to the presence of numerous 

 mounds in the vicinity of Eldon, in Washington township, in this count y. 

 They were on the river bottom, and I attached no importance to them 

 from the fact that they were so situated. I could not believe that they 

 were ancient works, as my experience had led me to believe that the 

 mound-builders proper always selected the highest points for the erec- 

 tion of their tumuli. Bui I was prevailed upon to make an examination, 

 and during the month of November, L878, surveyed and examined them. 

 On the farm of Saul 1 learn, one and a half miles east of Eldon, on a 

 level piece of -round of forty acres, now used as a sheep pasture, are 

 three lines of mounds ranging east and west and varying in size from 

 10 feel to 50 feet in diameter. There are fifteen of them, live in each 

 range, and the ranges about 80 yards apart. They are composed of 

 loose sand and mold, and three of them contained human long bones, but 

 no skulls were found. They vary in height from 1£ to 24 feet. So soon 



