THOMAS] STONE GRAVES. • 695 



Some years ago Mr. (lei)rge E. Sellers disco veied near the salt spring- 

 iu Gallatin county, Illinois, on Saline river, fragments of clay vessels 

 of unusually large size, which excited much interest in the minds of 

 antiiiuarians, not only because of the size of the vessels indicated by the 

 fragments, but also because of the fact that they appeared to have been 

 used by some prehistoric peojile in theuumufacture of salt and because 

 they bore impressions made by some textile fabric. In the same imme- 

 diate locality were also discovered a large number of box-shaped stone 

 graves. Tliat the latter \ver(^ the work of the people wlio made tlie 

 pottery Mr. Sellers demonstrated by flndiug that manj^ of the graves 

 were lined at the bottom with fragments of these large clay "salt 

 pans.'' ' 



It is worthy of notice that mention of this pottery luid been made 

 long previoitsly by J. M. Peck in the Gazetteer of Illinois.- He 

 remarks that "about the Gallatin and Big Muddy' salines large frag- 

 ments of earthenware are very fre(]uently found under the surface of 

 the earth. They appear to have been portions of large kettles used, 

 probably, by the natives for obtaining salt." 



The settlement of the Shawnees at Shawneetown on the Ohio river 

 in this (Gallatin) county in comi>aratively modern times is attested, not 

 only by history, but also by the name by which the town is still known. 

 But there is some evidence that an older Sliawnee village was at one 

 time located at the very point where this " salt kettle" pottery and these 

 stone graves are found. In the American State Papers ^ is a commu- 

 nication by the Illinois and Wabash Land Comjjauy to the Senate and 

 House of Representatives in which occurs the following statements: 



On the 5tli of July, 1773, the bargain was completed by which these Indiiins (Illi- 

 nois; for a large :ind valuaUli^ cunsidcratiou agreed to sell to Murray and his asso- 

 ciates two tracts of land which are thus bounded: the first begins on the east sido 

 of the Mississippi river at the mouth of Heron creek, called by the Freuch 'the 

 river of Mary,' being about a league below the mouth of the Kaskaskias river. 

 From thence the line runs a straight course northward of east about eight leagues, 

 be it more or less, to the hilly plains; thence the same course iu a direct line to a 

 remarkable place known by the uame of the Bull'alo Hoofs, seventeen leagues or 

 th<Tealiouts, l)e it more or less; thence the same course in a direct line to the Salt Lick- 

 creel-, al)Out seven leagues, be it more or less; thence cnmshij) the oTc/i about one 

 league below the nncietit ShnwncDC town, in au easterly, or a little to the north of east 

 course, in a direct line to the Ohio river, about four leagues, be it more or less; thence 

 down the Ohio by its several courses until it empties into the Mississippi," etc. 



A copy of the deed is also given dated July 120, 1773,'' containing the 

 same bimndaries, and witli it the i)roof of record in the office at Kaskas- 

 kia the 2d of September, 1773. 



Although the claim was rightly rejected by Congress and the direc- 

 tions given are slightly erroneous, as the geography of the west was not 



' Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XI, pp. 573-584. ' Public Lands, class vni, vol. 2. p. 108. Gales 

 ■'1834, p. R2. ami Sratoii edition, 1834. 



^I know from pcr.sonal oiisrrx'atiuii that this is ' P. 117. 

 true in regard Ut tlif l.-ittoi- loralitv. 



