496 SOME ABORIGINAL SITES ON RED RIVER. 
ling of cattle, had been washed away by rain and that burials near the surface went 
at the same time. | | | 
A more thorough examination of this mound, while desirable, is, under the 
circumstances, out of the question. 
UPPER MOUND on SALINE Point, AVOYELLES PARISH, La. 
The property of Mr. L. M. Clavrie is on Saline Point, bordering the river, but 
somewhat farther up than Mr. Norman’s place. 
About 300 yards back of Mr. Clavrie’s residence is a mound in woods, which 
has been considerably worn and washed. Its original shape is not apparent; pos- 
sibly at one time it was square or nearly so. Its present basal diameter is 88 feet, 
about one-third of which is the diameter of the summit-plateau. The height of the 
mound is slightly more than 10 feet. 
Many trial-holes over the surface of this mound showed that many burials had 
been made in much of the summit-plateau and, in places, partway down the slope. 
The deepest burial discovered was at a depth of 3.5 feet from the surface. 
In the course of about two days’ work seventeen burials were come upon, 
as follows: | 
Burial Хо. 1. This burial, which was just below the surface, consisted of a 
number of bones bunched together, including a single skull. 
Burial No. 2, also superficial, was a bunched burial, having nine skulls in 
connection with it. Near one of the skulls were two vessels, one in fragments, 
and two flint pebbles together with a much-decayed canine tooth of a large carniv- 
ore, without perforation or groove for suspension. With other parts of this 
burial were two small vessels together, and near these a diminutive pot. Probably 
a child’s remains had been included with this bunched burial, but if so, its bones 
had decayed away. 
Burial No, 8. This burial was made up of more than one individual, burnt to 
small fragments. Several bits of pottery lay with the calcined remains. Du Pratz! 
says that no nation of Louisiana practised cremation. It is very unlikely that the 
customs of the Louisiana Indians had changed in Du Pratz’s time. This writer, 
careful as a rule, was hardly in a position to formulate a general negative in con- 
nection with so large a territory. 
Burial No. 4. This burial, another cremation, also included remains of two ог 
more skeletons, as parts of two different skulls were determined in it. 
Burial No. 5. A bunched burial including two skulls, one of which had been 
deposited upon some fragments of pottery placed together. 
Burial No. 6. Cremated remains of several individuals. This burial differed 
in one respect from other cremations present in the mound, for while the others 
had been carefully gathered and deposited without any other material showing 
* * Histoire de la Louisiane,” Vol. III, p. 24, Paris, 1758. 
