The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-08-25
From the Usage Mo. Yeoman.
THE BONES OF THE MISSOURIITM

On Tuesday last, in company with several other
gentlemen, among whom was Col Benton, we visited
the place where Mr. Bryant is exhuming the remains
Of these NEST wonderful animals. 1t is near the
Pomme de 1erre, and about a mile and half from
where Mr.. Koch obtained his skeleton Mr. BRYANT
has already excavated twenty feet and has succeed
ed In procuring some of the largest spec mens (and
many OF them nearly perfect) ever vet ex posed TO
the admring gaze of The curious. We saw and
measured thigh bone, which seems perfect and in
excellent preservation, which measures three feet
ten and half inches in length Is l-2 inches in dame
ter at its head and inches in diameter at il, small
est part. we also saw feet of tusk which mea-
sured % inches in circumference where it as broken
OIL MIR. H. is now engaged getting out the balance
of the tusk, and he thinks the whole will be about 10
feet We were shown part of a scull which CON
teeth and the lower paris Of ue eav So"e Wsh -four
this scu appeared from the size Of the teeth in the
Jaw, To belong TO one OF the smaller animals, and
measu ed twcnty-one inches in width. From the
formation OF the scull, cad to the conc In.
sion that the uks grew out of the head between the
upper teeth and the eyes, for the cavities where the
tusks fitted III were plainly observabe-and that NAV
probably account for the loss of the upper mart of
scull-the weight of the tusks having pressed il off
and destroyed II. We were shown a great variety
of teeth, one of which weighed - ID lbs These
teeth OF various shapes and kinds, and eyidentl,
belonged to different species Of animals. While
some OF them have three large ndentions crosswise
others present nearly smooth surface similar 10 the
teeth OF the elephant while others again are about
four inches long, abo 4 inch broad and resemble
on the surface the grinder of The rib bones
are, for the most part, imperfect the longest piece
being only about three feet. These are moi
curved ilatwse like the ribs OF OK but are curved
edge-wise-they about an inch and half thick
and three and half inches wide The bones in The
best state OF preservation yet discovered are the yir-
tebta of the back Six of these were found in hole
about three feet square and ale perfectly sound the
oblique process Of which measures two feet-tbe
cavity for containing the spinal marrow is about three
inches in diameter
Bones Of various sizes and evidently belonging to
many different animals are found embedded together
either in white quicksand, or a stiff blue CLAW
Among the bones are frequently found pieces of
chsrred wood and other material giving evidence Of
the presence of rational beings The whole would
DC SUBJECT oil intense interest TO the naturalist and
The antquary. From the position IN which the bones
are found, do not believe that the animals died
there. No entire skeleton has been found al the
same place, but numerous bones Of The same kind
and hundreds OF teeth have been discovered within
space of twenty feet square, and from two 10 ten
feet below the surface, and frequently presenting the
appearance Of having been buried there.
Can IT be that a race of men existed in ages long
long buried in the deepest oblivion who held these
animals IN such awe and veneraton that they took
the pains TO collect and bury their bones that
they did those of their fathers Not far from where
these bones are found, is a mound about 900 feet
high, with grave on its very top This is called an
Indians grave. This whole mound may be one vast
sepuchre OF mighty people, built IN close coutgui.
ty TO the remains Of those animals they probably
worshipped.
There have none of these remains yet lcen found
out OF this county, and I was supposed when Mr.
Koch removed the first that were found that il was
the only skeletonbut enough have since been disco
vered TO prove that thousands are hid in the bosom of
the earth within the bounds Of this county We
wish that some naturalist and geoogist would think
1t worth his while to visit and examine the places
where these remains found The cause Of sci
ence would be much advanced, and many new ,heo.
RES be founded, and old ones upset As has been
very aptly remarked, the great field of Western
history Is scarcely yet touched upon the crust is not
broken;' and much honor and renown awaits those
who shall carefully investigate these remains and the
subject connected with their history.