SOME ABORIGINAL SITES ON RED RIVER. 501 
А number of trial-holes showed the upper parts of the mound to be of a material 
composed largely of yellow clay and having no admixture of organic matter. 
The shape of this mound indicates that perhaps it was built for a purpose 
other than a domiciliary one, but the size of the mound precluded an investigation 
without material injury. 
In a field, above reach of the river, is what long cultivation has left of a small 
mound containing burials. Investigation showed the material of which it was 
composed to have the dark shade one looks for where organic matter is mixed with 
the soil. 
About one foot below the surface remnants of a human skull were found, and 
in another place were decaying fragments of human bones and a human incisor, 
The height of this remnant of a mound, which was about 200 yards SSW. from 
the large one, was 4 feet; its present diameter, 45 feet. Evidently the superficial 
parts, in which probably most of the burials were, had been plowed away. Mr. 
Saucier informed us that much broken pottery had been uncovered in cultivating 
the mound in time gone by. 
In the surrounding field some digging was done by us without coming on 
burials, though a drill of flint was unearthed. 
In the opening part of this report we refer to Penicaut’s statement that the 
Tassenogoula, or “ Nation of the Rocks,” was, at the time of his visit, six leagues 
above Saline river, on the banks of a small stream at the base of a chain of hills 
extending north and south. Hills running as described are some miles farther up 
Red river, but at this place, where, by the way, a bayou enters the river, there is 
high, flat land running back in a southeasterly direction. 
CEMETERY ON THE JOHNSON PLACE, AVOYELLES PARISH, La. 
The Johnson Place, belonging to Mr. Richard J. Johnson, who lives upon it, 
is in part above the reach of high water. A portion of this high ground is a field 
two acres in extent, one-quarter of a mile from the river, approximately. This 
field is much darker as to color of soil than are adjacent fields, though pasture land 
also adjoining it is said to consist of the same black soil, and to have formed part 
of the aboriginal dwelling-site. However, as the field was covered with grass, the 
fact was not evident on inspection, though it is said to have been apparent when 
the pasture land was under cultivation, some time ago. 
Over the cultivated part of this site are scattered numbers of fragments of 
pottery, flint chips, and other debris. 
A part of the field, slightly higher than the rest and about 100 feet by 75 feet, 
roughly speaking, had on its surface, in addition to the other debris, almost innu- 
merable fragments of mussel-shells, while bits of human bones and even parts of 
skeletons together could be seen there at the time of our visit. 
A small collection of arrowpoints, some neatly serrated, were collected by us 
from this and from other parts of the field. 
