f)92 ANTHROPOLOGICAL i'APERS. 



extended ."> feet above gTouiid, and on it was rudely painted witli some 

 red pi<;inent figures resembling Xs, Ys, etc. Around this iuclosuie a 

 tight log crib was made. This crib was 10 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 

 slightly over 3 feet in height, and was made of green uupeeled logs, 

 from G to 7 inches in diameter, laid up in log-house style, and so notched 

 at the ends as to leave but little if any space "between them, this being- 

 intended to keep the wolves and other wild animals from the body. 

 Over the top of the crib were tightly fitted other logs. The skull of 

 this Indian is now in the possession of Dr. J. W. Smith, of Charles City. 



One mile below the above-described grave, in the timber on the south 

 bank of an elbow of the Cedar Ri^'er, which extends out here to the east, 

 there might have been seen a few years since the graves of several 

 Winnebago fndiau children. The bodies had apparently been placed 

 on the surface of the ground, and on all four sides logs 12 inches in 

 diameter had been arranged, the space inclosed being filled in with 

 earth, and a mound 13 inches or more in height raised over the body. 

 These graves were situated on the bank, 10 feet above and 10 or 15 

 yards distant from the stream. 



On the brow of the hills, which here form the east valley side of the 

 Little Cedar River, at Bradford, in Chickasaw County, and where a 

 beautiful view of the surrounding region is aftbrded, formerly existed a 

 Winnebago burial ground. Here more than twelve Indians were buried. 

 Their bodies were wrapped in their blankets; a quantity of provisions, 

 their guns, and other things, supposed to be needed in the "happy hunt- 

 ing ground," were placed at their sides. Over the body an inclosure was 

 formed. by driving staves into the ground obliquely on each side, meet- 

 ing at the top, as described in the burial north from Charles City. 



As these graves were located on the prairie, no log crib was placed 

 around this inclosure; but instead, clods of earth were arianged all 

 around the outside, completely covering the slabs from view save a 

 slight portion at the top. In the heavy timber on the west side of the 

 stream at this place numerous other graves existed. Here tight log 

 cribs, similar to the one already described, were placed around the inner 

 inclosure. In one instance the body of the dead was put in a rude slab 

 coffin and placed on crotched poles, 10 feet from the ground. In an- 

 other instance the body of a papoose was laid in a rough slab box, and 

 this placed in the crotches of a tree. 



Whether the two last burials were those of the Winnebagoes, or those 

 of some other tribe, I am unable to state with certainty, although the 

 settlers living in the region at the time affirm that they were those of 

 the Winnebagoes. 



The Indians in passing up and down this stream during the summer 

 aud faU " would place wisps of June grass on the gravies of their dead." 



