Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1838-09-14
From the Logansport (Ia.) Telegraph.
THE DEVILS LAKE

v hoithetu portion oil Indiana there
are many beautiful little lakes, which give
great interest 10 a country somewhat open.
About 20 miles from Logansport, and in the
vicinity of Rochester, there is one of these
lakes about Two miles in length, half a mile
IN width, and Of unknown depth. Sound.
lngs were once tried with a line of l3 faith.
oms, but with no effect.
There is an ancient tradition of the Po,ta.
wattamie Indians relative to this lake. which
has been handed down from generation TO
generation, and is now received by the white
man with confirmed credence. The precise
time al which the tradition was first receiv.
ed among the Indians cannot be determined
probably not long after the emigration oil
the Potta wattamies across the " hard wa.
tiers" OF the north, some centuries since, to
tins district OF country, which was then oc.
cupied by the Miames, by whose grant the
Pottawattamie became possessed of the
lands. 1t appears that the tradition does
not owe its origin TO the susperstitious fears
OF the red man but that some gigantic crea-
ture inhabited the lake. and does al the pre-.
sent time, is beyond the probability OF douht.
This lake is called by the Indians " Lake
Man-i-ioo," or the Devils Lake; and such
is the terror in which it is-held, that but few
Indians would even dare to venture in a ca.
noe upon its surface. The Indians will mel.
Their fish nor battle in the lake, such is the
powerful conviction that "Man.itoo,'' or the
Evil Spirit, dwells in its waters. 1t may
elicit a smile from the ncredulous to assert
gravely the fact hat some very extraordin-
airy creature claims monarchy Of this beau
tIful lake. But the existence of a monster
in this lake is no; an object of more surprise
to us than the remains of the MaStadon,
whose teeth measures lS inches-and which
were found but two miles from own in a
prairie through which the canal runs
Were there not assurances from men entitl-
ed to credibility, that a monster had been
seen within a few days in the Lake Mani.
TOO, it might be supposed that the above sto-
ry originated in the superstitious fears of the
Aborieines.
When the Potta wattamie Mills were cree
ted some ten years since, at what is called
the outlet OF the lake, the monster was seen
by those men known to Gen. Milroy, under
whose direction the mills, | believe, were
erected. There are persons in Logansport
who questioned closely those who lately saw
the mysterious occupant OF the lake, and are
SOhN u iiC ~ Vi
being founded on something more substan-
tial than the basis of fish and snake stories
generally.
But two weeks since some men BY the
name of Robinson were fishing in the lake.
when they beheld with surprise the even
surface oil the water rufled by something
swimming rapidly, and which they suppose
must have measured sixty feet. The Rob-
insons are respectable men, whose fears are
not easily excited yet, such was the terror
that this non-descript caused, that they made
a hastv retreat 10 the shore, much alarmed.
Since this circumstance took place, aud but
a few days since, Mr.. Lindsey, who is well
known here, was riding near the margin of
the lake, when he saw at the distance OF
200 feet from him some animal raise its 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 and reappear-
ed three times in succession. The head he
described as being about three feet across the
frontal bone, and having something of the
contour of a " beef's head but the neck Ia
pering, and having the character Of the SER
pent color dingy, with large bright yellow
spots. 1t turned its head from side 10 side
with an easy motion, in apparent survey oil
the surrounding objects. So convinced are
many OF the existence of the Monster, that
some gentlemen in town have proposed an
expedition 10 the lake, and by the aid of RATS
TO make an effort to capture the mysterious
being which is a terror 10 the superstitious,
but which becomes an object OF interest 10
science, the naturalist and philosopher.