Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-16
From the Emigraot," published at st.
Louis.
THE MAMMOTH.
pra;rs IN, Chisn Mnyrh T.

THE MAMMOTH.
Prnire du Chen. March /.
SIR-The present sppears to be ali
age fruitful in cvriosities, on the land as
well as in the deep. I take the liberty
to send you for publication, copy OF
letter to DR.. Mitchell. written BY gen.
tiemau Of New York, who has been for
some time past journcr in the wild
Of the upper Mississippi. The strange
account he there gives Of the re-appear-
auce of the Mammoth, and the causes Of
so great connections among the wild ami
mails, will afford to the naturalist matter
of deep speculation, and excite in the
public generally, equal curiosity with
the recent appearances of the great SER
peat on the shores Of the A,lantic.-l
am, sir, your obedient servant, &c.
Prairs da Chen, March I, 1918.
On. SAMUEL MITCHELL,
Sir-Believing that the occurrences
which happened in this country will net
be uninteresting to you, suffer me to de-
scribe to you the emigration of the Buffa
10 and the recent appearance Of large
animal supposed to be the Mammoth.
DO not be too much surprized at The
mention of quadruped so famous for its
size, and which has long since been Coz
sidered extinct. Though the present age
is only acquainted with the skeleton Of
the Mammoth, there are grounds for be-
liesing the presen, existence Of this once
formidable and gigantic animal. Nari-
Gus Indian accounts have lately reached
US of its having been seen on the Biz
Praire, not Ear from the head Of the Red.
woed River st. Peters. The latest &C.
count Of it is given BY the Sioux la they
are termed) a wandering tribe Of Indians.
They describe il as being far superior in
size to the Buffalo, or any known animal
that abounds on the Mississippi or its wa
tiers. On seeing this animal the Indians
were alarmed and terrified. They COZ.
ceived it to be the Match Match Mani.
ton, or evil spirit.
Besides the attention which the ap-
pearance of this animal has excited. il
the minds Of the people here, they have
been awakened at the sight Of numerou.
animals, that are collected to and sur
round this place. What has given rise to
this great connection Of he animal king
dom in this quarter OF our country viii
appear difficult to explain. From some
cause or ether the animals have been
much disturbed and being either i'm
PEELED by fright, or the want OF subsis
ence, have wandered from their Accus.
toned abodes, and sought shelter in
this neighborhood. The deer, the pan
theirs and the bears, are nov seen around
US in greater plenty than ha- ever yet
beea known. The buffsl1, which has
long since been driven off the Indian
hunting grounds, and sought security
from the savage hunter, b. retresting
west, have lately crossed the MississiP-
pi, nigh this place, in considerable herds,
and are travelling towards the lake
frontier.
To account satisfactorily for this ex-
traordiuary emigration of animals, and
the recent appearance Of the supposed
Mammoth, which Indian traders say,
came from the unexplored regions OF the
north vest, will be difficult But think
one probable conjecture is, that earth
uuakes have been the principal cause
We have lelt several slight shocks here !;
and have received accounts Of dreadful
earthquakes to the west.
ExcELLKNTi
A Vermont paper gives the names OF