188 A. Bigelow on Mounds on the Tensaw River. 
except the danger and inconvenience of the floods. Against these 
the mounds are a security ; and, in one case a raised ridge is now 
used as the site of some buildings. On the Gnathodon beds and 
the mounds hereafter to be described, relics are often found, the 
most important of which are images. One bust of a person was 
discovered near the bay, which very strikingly exhibits the In- 
dian features, and also considerable skill on the part of the sculp- 
tor; for these images appear to have been first moulded, a 
then cut out by some edged instrument. I would here remark 
that the floods occur at irregular times, usually from February to 
May, but often in June and July, and occasionally in August. 
— or eee = 
The plantation before spoken of, lies on the 'Tensaw and Bottle 
creek, and has acrescent shape; at its southern extremity the eye 
is attracted through an opening in the forest, by an elevated mou 
nearly in the center of a large field, the appearance of which as 
thus seen, is represented in figure 1. This mound is now oval, 
but has the appearance of having been somewhat rectangulat 
when built. It isa striking object in the landscape, both from 
its size and elevation. It has a wide base and gradually tapers 
to the summit, which is 104 feet long by 46 feet wide an 
stands on groynd a little below the surface of the rive 
its sides are covered with trees 40 feet high, and with sh 
d 
se, 
d ae 
sine al : goth nother till i 
tending along one side of a rectangle and part of posite lie 
ee 
