8 • SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 94 



the Natchez erected a mound by the side of the lake/" The hill is, 

 however, entirely a natural formation, an eastern outcrop of the 

 region of western Louisiana known as the " Kisatchie Wold." But 

 the memory of this event still survives in the name of Natchez Lake 

 and the town of Natchez, just south of Natchitoches. 



During the period of Spanish occupation from 1763 to 1803, the 

 village of the Natchitoches continued to increase in importance as a 

 frontier trading post for the Caddo and Hasinai tribes to the north- 

 west. Dr. John Sibley, making the first trip of exploration for the 

 United States up Red River in 1805, reports finding the remnant of 

 the Natchitoches still at its ancient village near the modern town 

 named for them." Soon after this, however, incteased pressure by 

 American settlers induced the Indians to move over into Texas, 

 where they joined their kindred of the Caddo confederacy and thus 

 ceased to exist as a distinct tribe. 



POTTERY 



The pottery from the Cane River Lake burials shows a range of 

 forms including simple conical bowls, cuplike bowls with flaring col- 

 lars, small jugs, and subglobular bottles with short necks. The bowl 

 of a clay pipe was found with an opening in one side for a stem 

 probably of hollow cane. Unfortunately, very few of these specimens 

 were saved intact, so that it is impossible to state the number that may 

 originally have been present, or the ratio of bowls, pots, and bottles. 



The ware is very homogeneous, consisting of a grayish paste, which 

 has a reddish tint on firing and is heavily shell-tempered. No sand 

 or grit has been found in the tempering of any of the pottery. Crude, 

 poorly surfaced, undecorated vessels as well as those showing a high 

 degree of polishing and incised or engraved design are present, the 

 two types often occurring in the same burial. A pebble seems to have 

 been used for the purpose of smoothing the surface, as slight ridges 

 and scratches can be detected, indicating the use of some such agent. 

 This smoothing or burnishing has been carried to various degrees of 

 perfection on different vessels ; an example of the high, shining polish 

 achieved on ])oth the interior and exterior of a bowl is shown in 

 plate 5, a. 



"* Sibley, John, Report of exploration of Red River, included with account of 

 Lewis and Clarke's expedition. Indian Affairs, American State Papers, vol. i, 

 p. 724, 1832. 



" Sibley, Op. cit. 



