THOMAS! MISSISSIPPI. 267 



The other two mounds {() and /(), situated near the middle of the 

 north and south margins are i-ireuhir, quite sirwll, tlic one marked </ 

 measuring but 38 feet in diameter and 2 feet high ; the other, marked h, 

 22 feet in diameter and 1 i feet high. Both have been under cultiva- 

 tion, wiiith has brought to light a layer of burnt day near the top of 

 each, showing them to Ite of the same type as the low domiciliary 

 mounds of Arkansas. 



UNION (^OTTNTV. 



The group of mounds here figured (I''ig. 105) is located in the southern 

 part of IJiiiou County, Mississippi, on the SE. | of Sec. 12, and NE. ^ 

 of Sec. 1.3, T. 8 S., r'. 2 E. 



There are fourteen mounds belonging to the group, twelve of which 

 are together, the other two (not shown) being one east and the other 

 west, about half a mile from the large mound, which is tlie most prom- 

 inent of the group. 



The general level of the field is about 50 feet above the creek bot- 

 toms to the north and south, which are overflowed at every hard rain. 



Before the soil had been cultivated an embankment could be traced 

 around the twelve central mounds which was about 2 feet high and 10 

 feet across at the base, with a ditch on the outside entirely around. 

 The ditch was mostly and in some places entirely filled up. At pres- 

 ent uo trace of it remains and the embankment can be seen only for a 

 few rods on the west and north sides, where it has not been plowed 

 over. It was cut througli in several places and showed uo trace of 

 wood. This, however, is not positive evidence that no palisades ex- 

 isted, for it may have been washed down farther than the posts would 

 have been sunk, the area being much worn by drains. The earth form- 

 ing it is the same as the surrounding soil, and was probably thrown 

 inward from the ditch. 



Before the land was cleared timber as large as can l)e found in the 

 country grew up to the ditch on the outside while inside that limit noth- 

 ing grew but brush and small trees. The largest one on the embank- 

 ment, cut in 1842, showed by its growth-rings that it was 52 years old. 

 This would giye a period of not more than a century in which timber 

 has been growing on the mounds. 



Dense canebrakes still exist within a few miles, which no doubt 

 abounded in game, and in the creeks near at hand large fishes are 

 caught in C(Uisiderable numbers. The soil in this field, though now 

 about worn out by careless tillage, was formerly very fertile. 



A pond of 5 or 6 acres begius at the western line of the ("'inbankment. 

 The earth put into the larger mound was probably taken from this point, 

 as all the different sorts of earth used in the mounds are to be found in 

 the field or adjacent swamps. 



The line of the wall is shown as it was traced out by Mr. Parks, the 

 first permanent settler of the (tountry, and may m)t be correct, espe- 



