THE PROBLEM OF THE OHIO MOUNDS. 17 



(Jolouel Korris. In this case remimuts of the upright posts aiul reed 

 latbing forming tbe walls were found, also the clay plastering. 



Prof. G. C. Swallow' describes a room formed of poles, lathed with 

 split cane, plastered with clay both inside and out, which he found in a 

 mound in southeastern Missouri. Colonel Norris found parts of the de- 

 cayed poles, plastering', and other remains of a similar house in a large 

 mound in tbe same section. 



From the statements of tbe early writers, a few of which are given 

 here, it is evident that the bouses of tbe Indians occupying this region 

 when lirst visited by the whites were very similar to those of the mound- 

 builders. 



La narpo, speaking of tbe tribes in some parts of Arkansas, says: 

 "The Indians build their huts dome-fashion out of clay and reeds." 

 Schoolcraft says the Pawnees formerly built similar houses. In Iber- 

 ville's JournaP it is stated that tbe cabins of the Bayogoulas were 

 round, about 30 feet in diameter, and ])lastered with clay to the height 

 of a man. Adair says: "Thej' are lathed witb cane and plastered 

 with mud from bottom to top within and without witb a good covering 

 of straw." 



Henri de Tonty, the real bero of the French discoveries on the Mis- 

 sissippi, says the cabins of the Tensas were square, with the roof dome- 

 shaped, and that the walls were plastered with clay to the height of 12 

 feet and were 2 feet thick. '^ 



A description of tbe Indian square houses of this southern section 

 by Du Pratz ' is so exactly in point that I insert a translation of the 

 whole passage: 



The cabius of the natives are all perfectly square ; noue of them are less than 15 

 feet in extent in every direction, but there are some which are more than 30. The 

 following is tlieir manner of biiikliug them : The natives go into the new forest to 

 seek the trunks of young walnut trees of 4 inches iu diameter and from 18 to 20 feet 

 long; they plant the largest ones at the four corners to form tbe breadth and the 

 dome; but before fixing the others they prepare the scaffolding; it consists of four 

 l>oles fastened together at the top, the lower ends corresponding to the four corners; 

 on these four poles others are fastened crosswise at a distance of a foot apart ; this 

 uiakes a ladder witb four sides, or four ladders joined together. 



This done, they fix the other poles in the ground iu a straight line between those 

 of the corners ; wben they are thus planted they are strongly bound to a iiolo which 

 crosses them within each side [of the house]. For this purpose large splints of stalks 

 are used to tie them at the beight of 5 or G feet, according to the size of tbe cabin, 

 whicb forms tbe walls; these stauding poles are not more than 15 inches apart from 

 each other; a young man then mounts to the end of one of tbe corner poles witb a 

 cord in his teeth; be fastens the cord to the pole, and as ho mounts within, tbe polo 

 bends, because those who are below draw the cord to bend the pole as much as is 

 necessary ; at the same time another young man fixes the pole of tbe opposite corner 

 in the same way ; tbe two poles being thus bent at a suitable height, they are fastened 



' 8tb Rept. Peabody Museum, 1875, pp. 17, 18. 



2 Relation in Margry, Decouvertes, 4tb part (March, IG'jy), p. 170. 

 'Relation of Henry do Tonty iu Margry, Decouvertes, vol. I, 1876, p. 600. 

 Mlist. L.n,., vol. 2, Freueb cd., 1758, pp. 173-17^; Englished., 1764, p. 359. 



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