﻿254 SMITHSOXIAX M ISCKLLAXEOUS COl.LFXTIOXS VOE.. jd> 



on drums and planks. The playing of this game around a huge bon- 

 fire at night was a spectacular sight. In figure 242 the leader of one 

 side has the " bones " in his hand and is preparing to give them to 

 a member of his side for hiding. The songs occur while the loca- 

 tion of the marked bone is being guessed by the opponents. 



The material gathered at Chilliwack afifords a remarkable means 

 for comparison among the tribes represented, as well as with songs 

 of tribes previously studied. 



Among the important results of this year's work is the obtaining 

 of data on the manner of composing songs by Indians, as distinct 

 from the " receiving of songs in dreams." It appears that the com- 

 position of songs was assisted by walking or by the motion of a 

 swing. Two persons sometimes collaborated in the composition of 

 songs. Such persons were interviewed and their songs were recorded. 



ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK IN LOUISIANA 



Mr. Gerard Fowke, special archeologist, conducted important field- 

 work on Indian mounds near Marksville, Louisiana. 



It is a matter of actual knowledge that the Natchez Indians built 

 many large mounds along the bluffs bordering the Mississippi on the 

 east, and that this practice continued, though perhaps in a diminish- 

 ing degree, until the period of French occupation of the territory. 

 But it is not of record that this tribe, or a colony from it. moved per- 

 manently to the west of the river until within historic times. 



Also, it is now an established fact that the small mounds so numer- 

 ous over much of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, extending in great 

 numbers down the Red River to Alexandria and, sparsely, even beyond 

 that point, are the work of the Caddoans. The latter tribes, as far as 

 we know, did not erect the quadrilateral or fiat-topped mounds such 

 as are prevalent to the eastward. This leaves unexplained as yet the 

 comparatively few such structures found along the Red River, always 

 near the stream, reaching up the valley nearly or quite to Texarkana. 

 These may be due to Xatchez, or others, who once lived here for a 

 time but left no further traces. 



Between the known territory of the Natchez and that of the Cad- 

 doans, that is, between the Mississippi and the vicinity of Alexandria, 

 La., is a strip of country which, so far as its ancient remains sug- 

 gest, did not belong to either of these people, and yet there is some 

 resemblance to both. Whether these works indicate mingling of the 

 two, or an overlapping of boundary lines at different periods, or 

 whether there may have been another people in between them who 

 borrowed somewhat from the customs of l)oth, is not determined. 



