The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-04-30

Interesting Discovery,


The following letter which We publish from
the Boston Herald, will claim attention. The
writer Of it is attached to q party who are en-
gagged at present in making survey for the To-
cation of a railroad through New Hampshire
and the Northwestern part of New England
The facts stated by him must excite curiosity
and study, and if they be fully established
may we'll demand investigations:
NEsrOR GAP, Franklin Co.. March 27.
DEAR B: We are in the small hamlet
which bears the name of Nestor Gap. We
have been groping about, for the last two
weeks, under the most discouraging circum-
stances. We had snow. hail, sleet ice, rain,
| floods, mud and all other unbearablc things to
contend with. Yesterday freezing. to-day
| thawing But ] must forego the account Of my
personal experience and suffering. and hasten
to give you sketch of a most extraordinary
discovery made by u.s.
Yesterday we were surveying near the brow
of the range of hills which makes up from this
gap. The air was piercing and chilly, and fill
ed with driving snow. Suddenly the sun clos
ed in and rain mingled with hail, drove us to
seek shelter. There was no house or sign of
human habitatiOn within eight miles of us
Capt. Edwards, who leads the party, had met
with spran in the early part of the day, and
was incapable of eNerting HIMSELF from this
cause he suffered severely. While painfully
tracing our way in quest of shelter, Mr.. Samuel
Emerson, my companion and chum, discovered
a cleft in the side Of the mountain which
could be entered very easily. and would afford
a sufficient security for our party. We reach
ed the spot, and bestowed ourselves as costly
as possible. We're protected both from wind
and storm. The reaction of our feelings. and
the sudden rush of blood to the surface. which
always follows exposure like that to which we
had been subjected caused us in a short time
| to he very comfortable.
| Emerson, who never can be long quiet, began
to explore every side and corner of our retreat
He noticed large Hat stone which sounded
hollow as he struck it. 1t appeared to he lay
ing upon the ground, disconnected with any
other rock. Besides. his quick eve detected
that the stone was of different character from the
natural formation of the mountain. This was
enough to excite his curiosity. With the help
Of myself and another. the stoIc which was ly-
ing at an angle. was removed, and We found an
aperture beneath, lined with rude steps. This
was a spur for further explorations. After half
an hour rather hard work, we succeeded in
making an opening sufficiently large to afford
| an entrance.
| Before us lay cave. Emerson would have
entered it at once, but Capt. Edwards restrain
cd him until such time as ventilation wOnld
render it safe. Emerson went in first: follow
| cd, and the rest came after us. After descend
ing seven steps, the aperture widening all the
way, we found ourselves in spacious cave
with the roof ascending, until it reached the
heighth Of nearly forty feet. The size Of the
chamber was by actual measurement, ninety
four feet long. and siyty-thre feet at its widest
part. Beyond this. another flight of steps.
seemingly deeper than the first, extended TO
another chamber, but We have not yet explored
it. What lay beyond the first room, to what
extent the cave reaches or what it contains re-
mains to bc seen. But Judging from what We
have already discovered, the investigations
that are to he made will possess the most over
powering interest. When We had been in the
cave long enough to accommodate our eyes to
the dim light furnished by the opening we had
made. we began to make our observation. We
were filled with astOnisbment at what lay be-
! fore us. The cave or grotto had evidently
been used as hiding place for treasure and Il
! place for conccalment by those who had used
it, Implements Of defence lay in groups upon
one side. They were of an exceeding antique
form. Here antiquity rested upon every arti-
Gle before lis. The dust of ages had settled
down upon all things in the cave.
| In one corner we found three eartlIcn vessels
of singular construction and shape. These
were filled with coin of silver. brass and iron
but mostly Of brass-Of various shapes. The
coins bore no image, were cOarsely but curious
ly wrought, and Capt. Edwards who boasts
some knowledge of coins, declares them to be
entirely unlike anything he had ever seen or
read of. and of very ancient date.
But the most singular and interesting dis
covcry Of all consists in our having found, in
niche, several rolls and packets, composed of
| material entirely unknown to us, upon which
were inscribed figures and characters, the
meaning of which, as yet, we have not been
able to determine upon, or make out the nation
Or date to which they may have belonged.
We go tomorrow to the cave, having made
ample preparations for exploring its utmost cx-
tent. We take with us provisions for a week.
and bedding for our accommodation. We shall
occupy the chamber already discovered. Capt.
Edwards is SO deeply interested in the investi-
CATION before him. that he has abandoned for
week at least, his surveying expedition. He is
filed with the highest hopes, and, although
cold and unimpressive man in the ordinary at-
fairs of life he is now animated with the great
est enthusiasm.
Conversng on the topic of this afternoon he
declares his belief that both the coin and the
scrolls have date anterior to the Christian
era. If this be so, we certainly have a clue to
an inquiry that has hitherto been clOuded in
mystery and the silence of the grave" What
was the state of our country centuries ago. and
who inhabited it, 1t cannot be supposed that
this vast continent has been permitted to be a
bowling wilderness for so many thousand years,
or that our mighty rivers have flown through
rich and fertile valleys siuce the creation, with
out the intelligence of man to sound the prais-
es of the Lord and Maker of them all.
Capt Edwards has forwarded a small quanti-
tv of the coin, and scroll of the manuscript,
to his brother. Cornelius i. Edwards Esq, of
the Exchange Coffee House," with a request
that he would lay them before the learned and
scientific men of Boston, and also before the
Faculty of IIavard University. His letter and
package will doubtless reach the city by the
same conveyance that you get this. and l re-
commend you to call on him and view the Gu
riosities of our cave Besides he may have
other and more minute descriptions from Capt.
Edwards himself, than am able to give. You
may depend upon hearing from us on our re-
turn to this place. We have mail but once
week, which passes every Wednesday, and so
YOU may expect to hear from me more at length
by Thursday night Of next week.
remain yours, &c.
CHARLES G.. PRoCTOR.