98 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. 



stratum of compact clay thus forming a rude kind of earcophagus. On 

 breaking open these clay cases we found human bones partly decayed and 

 three copper kettles, one of which had some nuts in it, perhaps Pecans; 

 another had what are supposed to be the bones of a rabbit; also, there 

 were many silver ear-rings breast pins and one besutiful double armed, 

 ringed, silver cross, with E, C. in roman capitals engraved in the centre of 

 the upper arm of the cross, also a large quantity of blue glass beads. The 

 remaining small mound we opened out of curiosity. We sank a wide 

 shaft over the centre; when we came to the original surface of the soil 

 and found one clay covered skeleton in a fine state of preservation. There 

 was one copp-r kettle of rather laige size and a small fur-covered, brass- 

 nailed trunk, ten by twelve inches, and eight inches in height. In this 

 trunk we discovered a lot of cheap silver trinkets. In the kettle there 

 was some brown substance which we could not determine and over this 

 brown substance were two or three folds of a woolen blanket. 



I might have said, in its proper place that the clay was obtained on the 

 opposite shore of White liver, the only locality where this kind of clay 

 could be procured in this vicinity. 



A Mr. Stowell built a house over the large mound and when they dug 

 the cellar they removed a part of this inound but nothing was found; still 

 it may be that the centre of the mound was not disturbed. Kettles, silver 

 and cran'a were scattered, some by gift, others loaned without exacting a 

 return, so that at this time I cannot direct you where you can obtain any 

 of the relics. 



Should you require further information in addition to the above com- 

 monplace recital you can make any inquiry that you may wish and I will 

 answer. Yours truly, 



Nathaniel Dickinson. 



In answer to further inquiry, I received the following: 



The clay-covered skeletons were central, and on a level with the original 

 undisturbed soil, th? second mound opened we did not sink below the 

 base of the i-n ound, as it would be of no use, as we fully proved in the case 

 of the one removed, that the soil below was not disturbed, and in the 

 second opened, the water from White river was within two feet of its 

 base, as this mound was at a lower level than the other two mounds. 



These two Dickinson mounds, the West mound, on Ray- 

 mond, and the Mathew mound, in Minnesota, were certainly 

 not older than 300 years, and in all probability not over 

 seventy- five years, judging from the fur-covered trunk and 

 wooden cage. 



Mounds are usually found in groups of from three to 

 thirty. In these groups one is almost always much larger 



