336 CERTAIN ABORIGINAL REMAINS OF THE ALABAMA RIVER. 



clay from the rest of the mass, with the aid of a large saw, and clay and bones, 

 supported by the saw, were gently pushed over on to a sort of stretcher constructed 

 for the purpose in advance. 



The mass, by no means light, was carried by men long used to mound work, 

 across the field and down a slippery clay bank to a bateau in which the journey was 

 safely made to our steamer lying in the river. 



After this, the mass was treated to another bath of glue and allowed to remain 

 two weeks on the boiler of the steamer. The next stage was reached in our labora- 

 tory on the upper deck where all the clay, but a thin layer, was worked off and two 

 iron rods were placed longitudinally beneath. The base of the clay then received 

 a coat of cement which included the rods. 



The mass was carefully packed in a crate and the crate, in its turn, encased in 

 a box, surrounded by elastic packing, and the whole was sent North by express 

 under special arrangement as to care in transportation. 



This burial is shown in Fig. 52. 



A few skeletons of infants lay apparently at full length. 



The skeletons in this mound headed in all directions. 



The bones, which were badly decayed, no cranium with the exception of that 

 of Burial No. 102 being preserved, showed no fractures during life and in but one 

 case, osteitis, was a pathological condition present. 



Beads. — With a considerable number of skeletons were beads of shell, .usually 

 at the neck, but at times extending down the chest and occasionally at the wrist. 

 Some were small marine shells [Marginelld) pierced for stringing ; others were of 

 the ordinary type, of various sizes, including sections of coluinellse, 2.3 inches in 

 major diameter. 



t=Sn 



With one skeleton were forty-eight flat beads, almost square, as a rule, with 

 double perforation, somewhat larger, but less ornate than those from Durand's Bend 

 and from the Charlotte Thompson Place. 



