y6 Some Considerations on the Mound Builders. 



civilized tribe of the Northwest, dwindled away under 

 the continued attacks of the Sioux, abandoned village 

 after village, shifted their homes, till there is now but a 

 feeble handful, living for safety with another tribe. 



While the Mound Builders probably died out in the 

 South thus gradually, and became absorbed in the tribes 

 that overcame them, there is color for the suggestion, 

 often made, that the Natchez may have been a true rem- 

 nant of that race. They stood apart from other tribes by 

 their superiority in the simple arts practiced by Indians. 

 They were so skillful making their red-stained pottery 

 that Du Pratz had them make for him a set of plates 

 for table use. But they were more distinguished from 

 the others by their rites and government. They and 

 the Tensas, an affiliated tribe, had temples where guard- 

 ians perpetually preserved the holy fire. The Great 

 Sun, their head chief, had absolute authority, and his 

 person was sacred. They had an hereditary nobility. 

 The words and phrases of address and salutation used 

 toward the nobles, were wholly different from those used 

 toward the common people. 



The temple stood on a flat mound eight feet high, 

 having a graded ascent. And at the annual corn feast 

 a flat mound two feet high was erected, on which was 

 built a house for the Sun, who was borne two miles to 

 it in a litter carried by his subjects. After being carried 

 around the gathered heap of corn, he alighted, saluted 

 the grain, commanded his subjects to eat, and then it 

 was lawful for them to touch it. 



When they fled to Louisiana, in 1730, they sur- 

 rounded themselves with a fort. Pickett, in his his- 

 tory of Alabama; Squire, in his Aboriginal Monu- 



