THOMAS.] 



171 



buildings occupy the nearly level toj). In digging post boles some 

 bones and pottery were found, but no excavations bave been made in 

 it deeper than 2 or 3 feet. 



Mound jSTo. 2, near the east wall, is circular in outline, 75 feet across, 

 and G feet high. It has never been explored. 



Nos. 3 and G are quite small. A few stones have been plowed up on 

 No. 3. In the same field, some little distance south of the inclosure, 

 are two small mounds, Nos. 4 and 5. Mr. Bess stated that a few years 



Fig. 89.— The Peter Bess settlement, Bollinger county. Missouri. 



ago, while plowing over No. -i, his plow struck something and on dig- 

 ging down he found two stone coffins, each containing a skeleton. In 

 one of them he found a gourd-shaped vessel, ornamented with red 

 stripes and filled with lead ore so pure that he afterwards made bullets 

 from a part of it. An examination of this mound confirmed Mr. Bess's 

 statement, as the disturbed remains of the stone cists were found. 

 These were of the box-shaped type. Portions of a skeleton, including 

 a well preserved lower jaw and a few bits of painted pottery, were 

 also discovered here. 



