FIELD OPERATIONS. 



MANITOBA AND THE DAKOTAS. 



Within the area wnbraced by the province of Manitoba and the two 

 states of Dakota five distinct types of ]>iehistoric works have been 

 observed. First, the mounds of the Red river valley, extending from 

 Grand Forks, Nortli Dakota, down to Selkirk, Manitoba. Secondly, the 

 mounds along the Souris river in Manitoba and North Dakota, and in 

 Benson, Ramsey, and Walsh counties. North Dakota. Thirdly, the 

 mounds along the Big Sioux river in southeast Dakota and Iowa asso- 

 ciated with bowlder circles. Fourthly, the bowlder circles found upon 

 the highest lauds of the Missouri and James rivers and their tribu- 

 taries, associated with bowlder outlines of animals. Fifthly, the house 

 sites in the form of basin-shaped depressions found along the Missouri 

 river from the mouth of the Niobrara to 10 miles north of Bismarck. 



Of the first class, namely, the mounds bordering the Red river of 

 the North, there are but few, scarcely more than twenty now visible. 

 Those visited by the Bureau agent were in the vicinity of Grand Rap- 

 ids, North Dakota, St. Andrews, and East Selkirk, Manitoba. All had 

 been exjilored. They occur singly rather than in groups. The soil of 

 which they ai'e composed appears to be that of the surrounding laud. 

 They are couicial in form, and none at present exceed nine feet in diam- 

 eter, though originally, before they were cultivated and excavated, they 

 were doubtless higher. Human burials were found in all. 



SOTJRIS RIVER MOUNDS. 



Along the Souris river, in southwestern Manitoba and south of the 

 junction of the South Antler, numerous mounds were discovered. They 

 extend over au extensive area up the river, and it is not improbable that 

 they may be found following the stream across the border into Dakota. 



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Flu. 1.— Elongate mound, Souris riyer, Manitoba. 



They occur in large groups, are conical in form, and range from 1 to 5 

 feet in height and from 30 to 40 feet in diameter. In their midst were 

 .seen the two forms of elongate mounds, one as shown in Fig. 1, the 

 other the ordinary oblong form. As the discovery of these mounds was 

 incidental, and our assistant carried no instruments upon the trip, no 



35 



