Gi)G GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES, 



or two iudividuals were found here. Below these a few rocks, but by no 

 means regularly placed, were found ; next we came upon the remains 

 (human) of a number of iudividuals, at which point we ceased operations. 

 8ome six or seveu individuals Mere disinterred. There did not appear 

 to be any great regularity as to the position of the skeletons ; in one 

 case the face was upward, two on the side, and one perpendicular, 

 (though in this instance the body did not conform to the position of the 

 skull.) In most cases the heads ai)pear to be toward the south. Over 

 the bodies there was a layer of some hard mixture, much like mortar, 

 containing a white or ashy substance resembling the alkaline deposits of 

 this section. Mingled with the bones near the top, as before stated, 

 were those we supposed to be of the buffalo ; a beaver-tooth was also 

 found, but no implements of any kind were obtained ; yet, as we did not 

 go to the bottom, we could not say there were none there. Some bones 

 of small animals were found near the surface, but these had evidently 

 been carried into the badger-hole. 



The Sioux scouts, who were full-blood and unable to speak English, 

 showed no disgust or hesitancy at the work, handling the bones with- 

 out objection, and when asked if they knew anything about these mounds 

 shook their heads in rei^ly. 



The layer of hard ash -colored earth is somewhat difficult to account 

 for unless we suppose fires were kindled here after the bodies were 

 ])uried and covered, for funeral rites or some other purpose. 



We dug into and for some distance along the middle of the ridge or 

 embankment I>, but could discover nothing to indicate that it had ever 

 been more than a simple dirt embankment or wall, possibly of sod, as 

 we often see the settlers of the present day make in these western prairies. 



As 1 have not studied these ancient remains of the former inhabitants 

 of this country, and do not desire to speculate in regard to them, I take 

 pleasure in adding the following notes lurnished by General Thomas 

 respecting these and some other mounds he opened in this section i)re- 

 vious to my arrival: 



"Lewis and Clarke reported seeing Indian mounds 1,000 miles above the conflueure 

 of the Mississippi and Missouri, but tbis report is not verilied." So saj's Mr. John D. 

 Baldwin, A. M., in his work entitled "Ancient America." 



I now and hero propose to contribute my mite toward the verification of the state- 

 meut of Lewis and Clarke. 



The few men whom duty or wild incliuation have from time to time brou.njht into 

 this, for the most part, uninhabited region of treeless prairie, have all known of the exist- 

 ence of thousands of artificial mounds. What Avas in them they knew not, and but two or 

 three, to my knowledge, have ever been opened. On August 16, 1872, I opened one on 

 the high table-lands that spread out on both sides of a little stream called the James. 

 The point is about 47° north latittule, and 9S° 38' longitude west from Greenwich. It is 

 within three miles of the line of the North Pacific Railroad. The mound is circular in form, 

 '30n) feet in its shorter, and 35]=^, feet in its longer diameter, and five feet high. I 

 opened four trenches, three feet wide, from the outer edge, meeting in the center, form- 

 ing a cross vv'hen finished. I then excavated the entire mound from the center out- 

 ward, until there was nothing more to find. For results I had several two-bushel bags 

 full of bones, eight skulls, many pieces of skulls too small to be of value, (there must 

 have been at least twenty-five bodies buried there,) a rough-hewn stone 10 inches high 

 and oi inches in diameter, in shape resembling ^^ closely a conical shell, a cutting- 

 half an inch deep around the centei', thus, jM a (This was evidently tied with 

 thongs to a stout handle, and used in pulveriz BH ing their maize.) A portion of a 

 shell necklace, two flints, two heads of beaver, and some bones of animals un- 

 known, and a large quantity of bivalves, much like the clam {Mya oblongata) of our 

 Atlantic coast, but thicker, and the interior surface much more pearly. 



Is this mound, and its thousands of duplicates all over this country, the work of the 

 present race of Indians, or is it not? 



1. The Indians here and their habits have been known for some eighty years. They 

 .always have buried their dead in trees and on slight and insecure sca^ffoldings, and they 

 never meddle with them afterward. 



2. I had two Sioux Indians (mounted scouts) with me. I made them help dig. 



