Southern telegraph., 1838-09-12
THE DEVILS LAKE.

II1E DEVILS LANE.
In the Northern portion Of Indiana,
there are many beautiful little lakes, which
-lve great interest 10 country somewhat
open. About - miles from LosansPori,
nd in the vicinity Of Rochester, there Is
one of these lakes about two miles 10
length, hafa mile in width, and Of an
known depth Standings were once tried
with line l3 lathoms, bat with no elect.
There il ancient tradition OF tho Potta-
wstAmie Indians relative to this lake,
which have been hanlod down from goncr-
atomic generation, and is now received by
fhe white men with confirmed credence
The precise time at which the tradition
was first received among the Indians can
not be de.ermined-probably not long
time AFTER the emigration Of the POtta%attl-
! mics across the "hard waters" Of the north,
centuries since, to this district Of country
which was then occupied by the Mmmies,
by whose grant the Pota~atamies become
possessed OF ho lands. Ii appears iha; the
tradition does nj owe its orgin TO the su-
perstiious fears of the red men, but that
some gigantic creature inhabited the lake,
aud does, at the present1ime, is beyond the
probability Of doubt
This lake is called by the Indians lake
Man-i-too," or the Devils Lake; and such IS
the terror in which it is held, hat but few
iuailus would even dare TO venture in u
canoe upon its surface. The Indians viii
neither iish nor bathe in the lake; such is
The powerful conviction that" MaB-I-t1o," or
the Evil Spirit, dwe,is in It's chrystal waters
Il may aicjta smile from the Incredalous to
assert grayely the fact that some very eX-
traordiRary creature claims monarchy OF this
beautiful lake. But the existence oi a
monster in this lake is not an object Of
more surprise TO as than the remains of the
Mastod6n, whose teeth measures Is inches
and which were found but two miles from
town, in the prairie through which the canal
runs. We're there not assurances from Gcn
entitled to credIolity that monster has
been seen, within a few days, in the lake
Man-i-too, it might be supposed the strange
story or ginuted in the superstitlous fears oi
the Aborignes.
When the Potiawatiamio Mills were e.
ectng, some ten years since, at what IS
called the outlet of tho lake, the monster
WIS seen by those men known to GcneTal
MlHoy, under whose direction the Nils, |
believe, were erected. There are persons
in Logansport who questioned closely those
who lately saw the mysterious occupant OF
the lake, and are now convinced Of this tra-
dition of AIani-too being founded upon
something more substantial than the basis
Of fish and snake stories generally
! But two weeks since some men by the
name of Robinson were fishing IN tho tdhe,
when they beheld with surprise The even
surface of the water rutiled by something
swimming rapidly, and which they supposed
must have measured go feet. The Robin
sons are respectable men, whose fears arc
not easily excited; yet such was the terror
that this noadescript caused, that they made
hasty retreat to the shore, much alarmed
Since this circumstance took place, and
hut few days since, Mr Lindsey, who il
well known hore, was riding near the mar
uin of Lake, when he saw, at the dis
tance Of 200 feet from him, some anna
raise it's head three or four feet above the
surface Of the water. He felt the security
of the shore, and viewed the mysterious
creature many minutes, when it disappeared
aud rc-appeured three times IN succession
The head ne described about three fee
across the frontal bone, and having some
,hing ogthe contour OF ''bccf's head" bu
The neck tapering, and having the charaeto
of the serpent; coior dingy, with large vel
low spots Il turned its head from side t
side with an easy motion, in apparent sur
vev Of the surrounding subjects. Mr.. l.. i
, entitled to cicdibllity. So convinced ar
many, Of the existence OF the monster, tina
some gentlemen in town have proposed a a
! expedition to the lake, and by the aid of raj.
8 tomake an ctl1r. to capture the mystenou
: being which is terror to the slpersttious
0 but which becomes an object OF interest t
!. science, the naturalist and philosopher.