EXPLOKATION OF INDIAN GRATES BY J. GASS. 291 



J^ovEMBER 28th, 1878. — Regular Meeting. 



Dr. C. H. Preston, Vice-President, iu the chair. 



Sixteen members present. 



The reports of the Corresponding Secretary and Curator were 

 presented. A large number of valuable donations to the Mu- 

 seum and Library were announced, and the thanks of the 

 Academy voted to the donors. 



The following persons were elected corresponding members: 

 Dr. E. L. Mark, Cambridge, Mass.; Dr. R. A. Philippi, San- 

 tiego, Chili.; Dr. L. Koch, JSTurnberg, Bavaria.; Prof. T. Tho- 

 rell, Upsala, Sweden; Dr. V. Signoret, Paris, France; Y. M. 

 Firor, Charlestown, "W. Ya. 



Dr. Parry called attention to the recent discovery of Shortia 

 galacifolia. Gray, by Mr. M. E. Hyams, of Statesville, North 

 Carolina. 



The following papers were read : 



Report of Exploration of Indian Graves. 



BY REV. .J. GASS. 



About one mile east of Moline, Illinois, near the bank of the Missis- 

 sippi River, on ]\Ir. John Deere's farm, is a group of low mounds, thirty- 

 three in number, doubtless an old Indian graveyard, occupying a space 

 of about one-quarter of a mile, by ten rods, in four irregular rows, 

 running east and west. Twenty of the mounds of this group are of circu- 

 lar form, but of various sizes, diameters varying from twelve to thirty 

 feet. Nine are oval, fifteen feet wide, and from thirty-six to sixty- 

 nine feet long. Three are remarkable for their extraordinary length, one 

 being 147 feet and two 186 feet long, but all of the same width— fifteen 

 feet. One is of crescent form, with dimensions sixty-six feet by thirteen 

 feet. The height of all varies from one and a half to three feet. 



In these burials, the bodies of the deceased were laid, either directly 

 upon the sod or upon the natural soil after the removal of the surface 

 earth to the depth of a few inches, and then covered with earth. The 

 very long mounds are probably rows of single graves, the bodies being 

 added one by one from time to time, somewhat similar to our modern 

 custom. 



Careful excavation of some of these mounds resulted in the discovery 

 in most of them of not a single relic. Xos. 6 and 14 were explored sev- 

 eral years ago by some members of our Academy, but only bones were 

 found. Mounds I^os. 17, 27, 29. 31 and 32 were opened during the past 

 summer. No. 17 is circular, thirty feet in diameter and two feet high. 

 A few inches below the siu'face were found a number of stones j(lime- 



