658 MOUND EXPLORATIONS. 



the nortlioiu section. That this method prevailed eaii only be infened 

 from the southern custom and from what is found in the mounds of the 

 northern region, which will be noticed hereafter. 



Another item under this heading furnished by historj- is the well 

 attested fact that it was a very connnon custom among the northern as 

 well as the southern tribes to erect palisades around their villages for 

 defense against attack. As there will be occasion to speak of these 

 again, further reference to them at present is omitted. 



Although there are so few references to mound building by the north- 

 ern tribes in the older authorities, we are not without evidence on this 

 point, as is shown by the following statements made by comparatively 

 modern writers: 



Lewis 0. Beck, in his Gazetteer of the States of Illinois and Missouri, 

 affirms that ''one of the largest mounds in this country has been thrown 

 up on this stream (the Osage of Missouri) within the last thirty or forty 

 years by the Osages near the great Osage village in honor of one of 

 their deceased chiefs." ' It is probable that this is the mound referred 

 to by Maj. Sibley in his statement to Featherstonehaugh, in which he 

 says that "an ancient chief of the Osage Indians informed him whilst 

 he was among them that a large conical mound, which he (Ma,]. Sibley) 

 "was in the habit of seeing every day whilst he resided amongst them, 

 was constructed while he was a boy. That a chief of his nation unex- 

 pectedly died while all the men of his tribe were hunting in a distant 

 country; his friends buried him in the usual nuinner, Avitli his weapons, 

 his earthen pot, and the usual accompaniments, and raised a small 

 mound over his remains. When the nation returned from the hunt 

 this mound was enlarged at intervals, every man assisting to carry 

 materials, and thus the accumulation of earth went on for a long period, 

 until it reached its present height, when they dressed it off at the top 

 in a conical form. The old chief said he had been informed and believed 

 that all the mounds had a similar origin." ^ 



Lewis and Clark, as is well known, mention not only the erection of 

 a mound over a modern chief, but also numerous earthworks, includ- 

 ing mounds, which were known to be the work of modern Indians.-' 



(leu. L. V. Bierce, in his " Historical Reminiscences of Summit 

 County" (Ohio), states that when Nickasaw. an old Wyandot Indian 

 of that county, was killed, " the Indians buried him on the ground 

 where he fell, and according to their custom raised a mound over him 

 to commemorate the place and circumstances of his death. His giave 

 is yet to be seeu."^ 



The author of the Histoiy of Wisconsin states that " it is related by 

 intelligent Indian traders that a custom once prevailed among certain 



" p. 308. 



' Excursion throush the Slave StAtes. p. 70. It is proper to state that Mr. Collet, of St. Louis, says 

 he made a search for this mouml. but was unable to find it. 

 ' Travels. Dublin ed., 1817. pp. :«), .'il. 5'., 67, 115, 117, 118, 122, etc. 



' r. 128. 



