THOMAS. 1 



ARKANSAS. 237 



made tliroujuli charcoal, ashes, and liakesof inortar buined to a bright 

 brick red, but retaining tlie casts of the stems of gras.s and cane. Two 

 feet below this was another flre-bed. 



DESHA COUNTY. 



This county, which lies along the Mississippi and includes the mouths 

 of Arkansas and White rivers, is embraced in the Mississippi alluvial 



region of the state. 



Fig. 147 represents a mound situated on a level bottom 1 mile north 

 of Arkansas city. It is 108 feet long, 72 feet wide on to]), and 12 feet 

 high. There is a slope of about 35 feet at the east end, produced by a 



Fig. 143. — Pottery vessel from OUl Town works. 



slide which carried down some of the upper level. During the over- 

 flow of 1882, which was of unusual height, the top of this mound was 

 never less than 5 feet above the water. It has, on this account, been 

 utilized as a burying ground by the citizens of Arkansas City, where 

 they bring their dead in boats in times of overflow. 



A conical mound at Walnut lake station, -10 feet in diameter and 8 

 feet high, was composed wholly of sandy loam. Fig. 148 represents 

 an ancient fort on what is known as the " Turner Place." It is near 

 the Arkansas river, which formerly ran within 400 yards of this forti- 

 fication. Although evidently constructed by wliites its history is 

 unknown to the people of that section, who have the usual tradition of 

 its being the work of De Soto and his army. It was probably built 



