118 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BctL. 176 



builders of the posts to laying out perfect geometric figures. It may 

 be suspected that much of the planning and building was of the rule- 

 of -thumb variety, and that most of the actual construction was accom- 

 plished by using the readiest, simplest means at hand. 



The most notable feature of the enclosure formed by this stockade 

 is its generous size. Approximate dimensions of the enclosure are as 

 follows : 



East side: 225 ft. 



South side: 220 ft. 



West side: 195 ft. (est.) 



North side: 227 ft. (est.) 



The latter estimates have been obtained by projection of the adja- 

 cent stockade lines to a point of intersection. 



Such proportions are considerably greater than those of many trad- 

 ing posts of preceding years in the valley, and almost equal to those 

 of Fort Pierre Chouteau, which is said to have measured 235 feet 

 square (Harris, 1951, p. 83, cited by Mattison, 1954, p. 25), and Fort 

 Union, which is said to have measured 220 by 240 feet (Audubon, 

 1897, vol. 2, p. 180, cited by Mattison, 1955, p. 66) . The large size of 

 Fort Pierre II suggests that when the post was built it was intended, 

 despite the omission of blockhouses, to be a full replacement of the 

 old post (Fort Pierre Chouteau), and not merely another secondary 

 post. 



The location of Fort Pierre II on the lowermost level of the valley, 

 the flood plain itself, has been noted. The post was probably so lo- 

 cated because of the fact that a reasonably large open space was avail- 

 able here, within a reasonable distance from the riverbank and landing 

 facilities for steamboats. The fact that the low site would be subject 

 to spring flooding may have caused little concern to the builders, de- 

 spite previous experience, when such flooding had caused incon- 

 venience to establishments nearer the mouth of Bad Kiver. Con- 

 venience to the river-highway itself — a major consideration — and 

 space surrounding, sufficiently open for reasonable security from un- 

 welcome visitors, must have weighed most heavily in planning for the 

 new post. 



The orientation of the enclosure is of interest, in view of the fact 

 that although compass orientation would not seem necessary, it was 

 adhered to. No data are known proving the use of a compass in laying 

 out the post, and it is possible that it was established by the easy ex- 

 pedient of setting the lines at night according to the position of the 

 North Star. Elsewhere, posts seem to have been so oriented in order 

 to permit dwellings to face southward (probably to take advantage of 

 winter sunshine upon building fronts, away from prevailing winter 

 winds), with utility buildings such as warehouses and storerooms 



