MOUND BURIAL— NORTH CAROLINA. 27 



the south of the grave, and soon struck another rock, which upon exam- 

 ination proved to be in front of the remains of a human skeleton in a 

 sitting posture. The bones of the fingers of the right hand were resting on 

 this rock, and on the rock near the hand was a small stone about 5 inches 

 long, resembling a tomahawk or Indian hatchet. Upon a further examina- 

 tion many of the bones were found, though in a very decomposed condi- 

 tion, and upon exposure to the air soon crumbled to pieces. The heads of 

 the bones, a considerable portion of the skull, maxillary bones, teeth, neck 

 bones, and the vertebra, were in their proper places, though the weight of 

 the earth above them had driven them down, yet the entire frame was so 

 perfect that it was an easy matter to trace all the bones ; the bones of the 

 cranium were slightly inclined toward the east. Around the neck were 

 found coarse beads that seemed to be of some hard substance and resem- 

 bled chalk. A small lump of red paint about the size of an egg was found 

 near the right side of this skeleton. The sutiu'es of the cranium indicated 

 the subject to have been 25 or 28 years of age, and its top rested about 12 

 inches below the mark of the plow. 



" I made a further excavation toward the west of this grave and found 

 another skeleton, similar to the first, in a sitting posture, facing the east. 

 A rock was on the right, on which the bones of the right hand were rest- 

 ing, and on this rock was a tomahawk which had been about 7 inches in 

 length, but was broken into two pieces, and was much better finished than 

 the first. Beads were also around the neck of this one, but are much 

 smaller and of finer quality than those on the neck of the first. The mate- 

 rial, however, seems to be the same. A much larger amount of paint wasY . 

 found by the side of this than the first. The bones indicated a person of 

 large frame, who, I think, was about 50 years of age. Everything about 

 this one had the appearance of superiority over the first. The top of the 

 skull was about 6 inches below the mark of the plane. 



" I continued the examination, and, after diligent search, found noth- 

 ing at the north side of the grave ; but, on reaching the east, found another 

 skeleton, in the same posture as the others, facing the west. On the right 

 side of this was a rock on which the bones of the right hand were resting, 

 and on the rock was also a tomahawk, which had been about 8 inches in 



