ETHNOLOGY. 405 



No. 9 is a mound wliioli was on tlie Fane place, in the same neigliborliood, 

 the surface of which was cultivated. In 1860 a silver thimble was ploughed up 

 on this mound, which is in possession of Dr. Selman of this place. He says 

 that it is much larger than ordinary-sized thimbles, and is of the opinion that it 

 is a relic of past times evidently of a civilized people. 



No. 10 is a mound in Mr. Longbridge's farm, near Binningham, the surface 

 of which is cultivated, which was dug into eight or ten years ago, and pieces of 

 pottery with strange figures on them discovered. Silver ear-rings were taken 

 from some ancient graves adjacent to it. All of these mounds, from No. 6 to 

 No. 10 inclusive, are situated from five to eight miles west of this place. 



No. 11 is a mound two miles above Baldwyn, and within fifty yards of the 

 Mobile and Ohio railroad, of considerable size. An Irishman dug into it just 

 previous to the war, but I have not learned the result of his explorations. 



No. 12 is a mound six miles southeast of No. 11, on Michenor's near Mana- 

 tachie creek, thirty or forty feet in circumference. A hickory tree two feet in 

 diameter grows on its top. The mound is eight feet high. 



No. 13 is a large mound near Knight's mill, in this county (Lee.) Its sum- 

 mit contains about half an acre ; a dwelling and well is on the mound. 



No. 14 is a small mound near Dr. Maas, two miles east of Ellistown, eight 

 feet high, which has a red oak growing on it, three feet in diameter. 



No. 15 is a mile south of Guntown, on the Mean's farm, sixt}'^ yards in cir- 

 cumference and eight or ten feet in height. It is cultivated. 



No. 16 is a group of some seven or eight mounds, in Twenty-mile creek bot- 

 tom, at a distance of from eight to fifteen miles east of this. 



No. 17. I have heard of another mound which I ought not to omit to men- 

 tion. It is on the bottom (low ground) of Yorribie creek, three miles south of 

 Binningham, on the lands of John A. McNiel, said to be one hundred feet high, 

 and covers an are of a half acre. Large trees are growing over it from three to 

 three and a half feet in diameter. 



No. 18. Near this mound, in the same creek bottom, are two other mounds, 

 large, on the lands of a New York land company. 



From all the information I have obtained, I believe that there are multiti;des, 

 I might truly say hundreds of mounds scattered over Tippah, Pontotoc, Lee, Itaw- 

 amba, and Tishomingo counties. I am informed that there are several in 

 Osctibbeha county, and perhaps it might be safely affirmed that they may be 

 found in the greater part of the State. 



The mounds are, so far as ni}'^ observation extends, situated adjacent to water- 

 courses. They are generally placed in what we call second bottoms — elevated 

 level land lying between the bottom proper and the hills. Some, however, are 

 in the low ground, near the water-courses. They are found on Tallahatchie, 

 Oconitahatchie, Yorribie, Camp creek, Tishomingo, Twenty-mile creek, Mana- 

 tachie, &c. Why they ai'e always so situated I am unable even to conjecture. 

 It certainly is not the result of chance. 



The popular opinion among the people is that the mounds are places of burial. 

 Human bones were found in one near J. M. Simpson's. A gentleman not far 

 from here used the earth of a mound for making brick. He found, to use the 

 expression of another, '' a heap of coals and a piece of isinglass." In the mound 

 near Sullivan's, ashes were found. 



Another fact is, they are not confined to a particular locality, but are scattered 

 through tlie country. Sometimes a solitary mound stands remote from others, 

 and again you will sometimes find several grouped near each other. 



I have no doubt that a thorough exploration of north Mississippi (and I might 

 include the whole State perhaps) would show that rnoimds abound, and no field 

 offers more abundant materials in which to search for the remains of a departed 

 race. 



AVhile writing of these Indian mounds, allow me to direct your attention to 



