Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-01-23
TO rnE xDIroR OF ruK KENTUCKY PAL.
LApIUM.
Frantfart, la.A December, 1904.

attention and anxious curiosity, than the
opinion that nation of white men. speak.
my The Weich language, reside high up
on the Missouri. BY some the idea is
treated as nothing but the suggestion OF
bold impos'ure and easy creduIity whilst
others regard it us faSt fully authenti-
Gated by iadian testimony and the report
OF various travellers worthy ofcredit. The
t.ct IS accounted for they say, by recur-
In'g 10 passage in the history of Great
fr:tain, which relates that several wears
bsfore the discovery of America by Chris
topher Columbus, Certain Wclch prince
e'noarEsd rom his native country with
is'gc party ofcmigrants, tina, after some
uiic vessel or two Came back with the
account that they had discovered coun-
Try far 10 the westward, and THAI they set
SAL again with fresh re reinforcement, and
never returned any more. The country
which these adventures discovered. 1t ha.
: Dsea supposed, was the continent of North
Z America, and has bsen-conj-ctured,t l,at
they ianHed on this continent some where
III the guiph of Mexico, aud from thence
proceeded nor,hwards sill they got out of
the reach oi the hostile natives, and seat
ed themselves in the upper country
OF Missouri. Many accounts accordingly
have been published s,thin the last 80
: years OF persons who in consequence si-
thcr oil accident or the ardor OF curiosity
nave made Themselves acquainted with a
nat',n OF men on the Missouri, possessing
the complexion Of Europeans, and the Lam
g,iage OF Weichmen. Could the fact be
well established, it would afford. perhaps,
the mostsatislactory solution Of the difficult
~ occasionei by view of the various an
cicnt Notifications with which the Ohio
country abounds, of any that has ever been
offered. Those Qualifications we're evil
DENLY never made by the Indians. The
Indian arr OF war pre- sents nothing of the
kind. The probability too is :hatthe per-
sons who CONSTRUCTED them were az shaf
Haae acqusinted with the use OF iron: the
situation Of those Notifications, wlricl are
Uniformly in the most fertile land O. the
country, indicates that those who made
them, were agricultural people, and the'
remarkable and skill With which thsy
were executed. afford traits OF the genius
ofa peoples who relied more on their mi.
liiary skill than on their numbers. The
growth of tiI= trses upon them, is very
compatible with the idea that it is not
more than 800 Yeas ago that they were
abandoned.
These hints, however, are thrown out,
rather to excite enquiry, than by way OF
advancing any decided opinion on the sub
ject. Having never met with any Of The
peroni Who had sect, these white Ameri-
cNis, nor even received their testimony
near the source, have always entertain-
ed considerable doubts about the faa -
Las, evening however, Mr. John tsi..sis
81 Jessamine counsy, gentleman, with
whom have long been acquainted and
who is well known TO be man of veraci-
~, communicated relation to me, which
at all events, appears 10 merit serious at
tcption. After he had related il in con
versatnn, requested him to repeat it,
and commit it to writing. Il has certain
iy some internal marks of authen;ici,y.--
The country which is described was alto
sether unknown in Virginia, when the re-
lation was given, and was probably very
little known To the Shawnese Indians -
Yet the account Of it agrees very renarka
bly, with later discoveries. On the other
hand, the story of the large animal, tho
by no means incredible, has something of
the air of fable and il doe not satisfacto-
iily appear how the long period which the
party were absent was spept,-though In
di; $ however. so much accustomed to loi-
ter away their time, that many weeks and
even months, may probably have been
spent In INDECENT repose.
Without OBTAINING you any more with
preliminary remarks, will proceed TO
the narration as received It from Mr..
Chiids.
Maurice Griffith, native OF Wales,
which country he left when he was about
l6 years OF aye, was taken aprisoner by a
party of Shawnesc Indians, about 40 years
ago, near Vosse's fort, on the head of Ro-
snoke riveg, IN Virginia, and carried To the
Shawpese nation. Having staid there a.
bout two years and half, he found that
FIVE Young men OF The tribe. had desire
of attempting to explore the sources offhe
Missouri. He prevailed upon them T. adj
mil him as one of the party. They set oul
with SIX good rifles, and with six pound.
&C powder piece, of which they were o
course very careful. On reaching the
mouth OF the Missouri they we're struck
-