THOMAS.] MOUNDS IN CLARK COUNTY. 165 



and ashes, with bones intermixed. In fact, the indications were that 

 one or more bodies (or the bones) had been burned in a fire upon the 

 natural surface of tlie earth near the center; the coals and brands then 

 covered with rough stones thrown on without system to the depth of 

 3 feet over a space 10 or 12 feet in diameter, and these covered with 

 hard, light-colored earth. Only fragments of charred human bones 

 and rude pottery and stone chips were found commingled with the 

 charcoal and ashes of the tire. 



Several of the next (and larger) mounds had been previously opened 

 by other parties. 



Nos. IG, 23, 25, and 2(5 were excavated, but nothing of interest was 

 obtained from them. All except the last (No. 26) had a hard core in 

 the center at the base, but this (No. 26) was composed wholly of ordi- 

 nary earth similar to that about it, and was easily spaded to the bot- 

 tom. 



ANCIENT WORKS ON J. N. BOULWARE'S PLACE. 



These are in Clark county, but near the line between it and Lewis 

 county, and on the land of Mr. John N. Boulware, 10 miles north ot 

 Canton. Ordinary circular mounds are found scattered along the bluffs 

 and terraces of the Mississippi for 7 miles southward from those here- 

 tofore mentioned near Fox river, to the group on Mr. Boulware's place. 

 This group is on a bench or terrace, from 20 to 40 feet above the open 

 bottoms of the Mississippi, and extending less than half a mile there- 

 from to the blufls, which rise nearly 100 feet higher. Of these, tifty-one 

 are in a woods pasture from which the undergrowth has been removed, 

 afl'ording a tine opportunity for exploration. A diagram of this group 

 is given in PI. viii. 



No. 4 was opened, and in it, near the top, were found the much 

 decayed fragments of a human skeleton and some broken pottery encir- 

 cled by a row of flat stones, set up edgewise and covered by others 

 lying flat above them. Beneath these was a layer of very hard, light- 

 C(jlored earth, scattered through which were fragments of charred 

 human bones, pottery, charcoal, and stone chips. 



No. 5 was examined, but nothing was found except a core of hard 

 earth having the appearance of dried mortar, in which were patches of 

 soft charcoal, fragments of pottery, and flakes of stone. 



The road runs near No. 50, and has cut away the eastern portion. A 

 trench through the remainder brought to light the femora of an ordi- 

 nary sized skeleton, but no trace of the other portions could be found. 

 With this were some rude stone scrapers, fragments of pottery, char- 

 coal, and ashes. 



No. 46 is about 60 feet in diameter and 6 feet high, conical and unu- 

 sually symmetrical. A trench 6 feet wide was carried entirely across 

 it. The exterior layer, scarcely a foot thick, consisted of ordinary 

 top soil; the remainder was unmistakably composed of dried mor- 

 tar, in which fragments of charred human bones, small rounded pieces 



