Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-09-02

Vater to cToss-the 0octfihe Of naturaistS is
very country provides its own plants and ami
naIs; if true why not this Island and elsewhere.
But stranger case presents iiself up to bndg.
ng with main land this Island never knew a
hunk THAT pest,) nor a wool chuck. The intu.
~ rises, why not ? The answer is simply this,
these animals are no swimmers, are deeply bur
rowed in winter, in short will not endure cold
without doing great violence to their orgauiza-
ton, and Of course will not take advantara Of
m annual bridge Of ice. This fact of their be.
ing no skunGs or woodchucks on this Island Of
not5riety among its first, and oil inhabitants, an
terror to its permanent bridge, (since plenty
skunks,) furnishes an almostunanswerabe argu. 4
ment for the truth Of GeoIogy;f Geology contends
that hese Islands were dpheagiags Of beds of
rocks ence covered with waterss,ssose basin of
rocks .eopsliidtes sthe IaIandss snd their bases
show u corresponding dip. If, then, these Is.
lands were ever under water they must ube be-
holden for plants to seed and Offsets floating, &c.
and animals to swimming, or crossing someway
Comporiing strictly to the dictates of fnsture. All
this seems in close alliance with nature, TO com.
mon views only failing where circumstances ia.
tai to common order intervene, Geology teach
es first soil, then plants, afterwards. animals, and
finally man-Man could not be inconveulqnced
by either ice or water, therefore we findmany
indications of Indians, more particularly at the
S!nd Bar on the easl part of the town, indeed,
if reliance can be placed Oh Champan's expe-
dtion, July, 1909, the Island had been, an In
dian war raging, thckly peopled for an Indian
country. In probability all the Lake and "Iscts''
las the French afterwards called the Islands,
containing 10000 or 10000 acres,) from the
mouth of Onion River or Mallets Bay to the bot
tom of Mississco Bay was considered AbenaquiS
(Abenaqei or Abenequi) hunting range, although
Champlaln more than intimaes that the Lrequois
commanded all the Lake, and at the time of his
famous expedition oyerran all northern Vermont
however, documents are not wanting TO Drove
that the Abenaquis held village at SSanton,
Missisco River. This tribe, subsequently cal
led the st Francis, it is conjectured freqnented
or settled at the Bar, on the west side of the lake
within short distance Of the discharge Of La
MoilIe River, the Pike Bank, the Mosnd, the
Marsh, the Hills, &c, &c.. before mentioned
documents also bear out. This tribe was diyi-
ded into three parts, via: : those at St. Francis
those at Missisco and those who migrate :" this
last may have been, or the Lonp's (Woit tribe
extensive, J probably we've those at the S.nd Bar
no better place could have been chosen, a
harbOl within harbor mast have then existed,
and, in scnson, acres of wild fowls, chiefly ducks
and geese, spread before occupants. The Mound
spokca Of was near pond in the town of NJ lton
Vermont, and one and a half miles long, very
late as when the whites cans' in possession,
twelve pounds, black and greasy to be sure, but
must have suited an Indian palate. This Mound
lust opposite the more general location, has
been reported to have yielded, on the bare top,
inever examined generality two skeletons. But
whether SO or not, absolute certainty can be
shown of an Indian buryng ground just north OF
l.. Motifs ESQ on Col. MIx's Point, at the Sand
Bar aforementioned.
A former Surgeon of old King Frederick the
II. Prussian Army, being at hand, was induced,
in about A. D. 1906, to visit where a tree had
Just blown up the roots (in strong eqnlnoctlal
wind of October of thut year and laid bare a
great many bones very promiscuonsly inferred,
the doctor pronounced them haman and that
battle had been fought near. Far several years
following the white settlement Il7e3, teeth and
and parts of bones could be and were often
found
At what time the T.oups quit, if ever inhabi'
tants, no means of determining can be looked
for. The Misss,o branch OF the St Francis
tribe left SwAnlon, historians siy, about A. ID.
1870 assuming " those who migrate Perma-
nently or occasionally resident left about the
same time, one half century or in the neShbor
hood passed before The Revo'uton, leaving the
Sand bar common to all hunters In addition, be-
tween 1895 aud 1888, skeletons beng very
scarce, if atta,nabIe at all, my father, physician,
obtained few bones The Prussans had prononn-
ced upon, as near as can be remembered there
were several pounds weight very much decayed,
of the harder parts, such as thighs legs, skulls
and pie ceS &c as cunosities ore by one they
have principally disappeared, nothing remains
ia the chronicler save two bones, the thigh ant
leg, each an end gone, but the remainder
choiccly kept aimed hnally to be kept with
he University of Vermont, not only more com
petsnt but influenced to appreciate truly ancient
rel ,cs, having upon them indAlIjable marks OF
the aboriginal chase. NATIVE DWELLER.