Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-02-13
been found in any other portion Of the

, been found in any other portion OF the
globe.
The first bones and teeth of this animal
!, we're found as early as 1912, at Albany 5
and wero noticed IN the Philosophical Trans
action, in letter from DR.. Mather 10 DR..
Woodward. In 1899, French officer, by
the name of Loneueil, discovered some OF
the bones, teeth and tusks, near the Ohio
river and the next year, larger quantities
of similar bones we're washed up by the cur
rent of the same river. After this time the
bones were occasionally found, down to the
present time, but often very much decayed,
and never in sufficient quantities TO nuke an
entire skeleton. The scientific world is
much indebted 10 the late Mr.. Peale, who,
with great labor, and at much expense, pro-
cured, in 1850. sufficient bones to enable him
to construct tolerably complete skeleton,
which is at the present time in the Phadel.
phia Museum.
But though the living animal is unknown
to US, the aboriginal inhabitants of this coun-
try seem to have been acquainted with him.
Many people are disposed to place very lit
tie dependence upon Indian tradition but
however vague such tradition may become
in relation to certain facts, by long transmits
sion from generation TO generation, yet it
must have something real and true for its or.
igin. Such we believe to be the fact in re.
ation to this animal. We shall, therefore,
give a few of these traditions as concisely as
possible.
In President Jeflerson's notes on Virginia
we find the following tradition Of the Indians
in relation 10 this animal.
THAT in ancient times herd Of these tro-
mendous animals came 10 the Big Bone
Lick, and began universal destruction Of
bear, deer, elk, buflaloes, and other animals
which had been created for the use Of the In
dams.
And that the Great Man above, looking
down and seeing this, was so enraged, that
he seized his lightning, descended on the
earth, and seated himself on a neighboring
mountain, on a certain mountain rock where
the print of his feet are still remaining, from
whence he hurled his bolts among them, till
the whole were slaughtered, except the big
bull, who, presenting his forhead 10 the shafts,
shook them off as they fell, but at length, one
of them missing his forhead, glanced on his
side, wounding him sufficiently to make him
mad whereon springing round, he bounded
over the Ohio at single leap, then over the
Wabash at another, the Illinois at third,
and a fourth leap over the great lakes where
he is living at this day.
A Mr.. Stanley, who was taken prisoner
by the Indians, and carried beyond the wes-
tern mountains to where a river runs west
ward, says that these bones abound there. and
r that the natives described to him the animal
which these belonged as still living in the
northern part Of their country
The following We extract from DR..
Koch's pamphlet on the Mlssourium: 'One
f man, IN 1916. has asserted, that his grandpa
f Their told him that he saw one of these ami
mails in a mountain pass, when he was hunt
ing, and that on hearing him roar, which he
compared TO thunder, the sight almost left
his eyes, and that his heart became as small
as an infants.
PERIOD OF THEIR EXISTENCE.
The opinion is very prevalent one, that
, these animals were anlidiluvian, and mos
persons reject with sheer, he idea that they
/ have lived at very recent period. But the
first has no ground, or shadow Of ground
for belief, and all the evidence seems to
show that they have existed not many centu-
| ries since.
Mr.. Jefferson, in his notes on Virginia
} reasons thus /: 1T may DO asked why in
sert the mammoth as if it still existed7
ask IN return, why should omit it as If il
! did not exist2 The northern and western
parts still remain in their aboriginal state,
+ unexplored and undisturbed by us or by
others for US. lie may as well exist there
now as he did formerly where his bones are
u, now found &c. The same reasoning that
he used, will apply with diminished force. il
is true, TO our own times. There are, still
S vast portions Of this continent yet UNEMPLOYED
by the white and inhabited only by hos.
! tile Indian tribes. Vast gorges Of the noun.
} tains in the west might still contain the living
animal and yet we be utterly Ignorant Of
= his existence. But we will not contend fol
S his present existence. We will examine
r briefly. the evidence of his having lived in a
very few centuries.
In the first place the testimony of the In
dams, but few years back. They stated
in the early part Of this century, that this an
!. imal still lived north of the Missouri river
o They called it 'Pere du b9uf,' father o
CdltIe' Dut iIoW sHui VIC itpiJ W the ques
IT ton, if the animal has lived in these parts o
the country within so short time, why di'
not the early white settlers either see o
hear of them from the lndiansl To this WI
answer, that after the discovery Of this coun
try, the settlement Of it took place slowly
/. and then was principally in those parts whe
% have not apparently been in the track of tn,
=, Mastodons. That they did not hear of then
!. from the Indians is not wonderful for Their
! was nothing to excite inquiry in regard Il
:, them. II a bone of one had been found |,
:. that period, and thus inquiry started, doubt
:, less something would have been ascertsine
os far more distinctly than has since been lear
a ned.
!, Tha, they were no, autidiluvian, is settle
IN by the fac, Of their being found in depos
k. of mari and pest,all Of which has been form
70 ed in modern times, and which is still form
y. ing. Moreover the fact that the bones !
it the skeleton from Orange county, are s
$. fresh. containing a large portion of anim'
N matter, and that the contents of the stomac
IN and the inies,ines were found unchanged OF