The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-03-03

been a structure upon it at some remote r,p;o,, 4
Extensive roads diverge from this system al
over the country; and one may be traced 4.
sixty miles in length, passing by most Of n.
large tumuli in the State: the first it toucbe. \. \
the Great Seltzertown mound. After a sevo.a
shower, u number ofsmall earthern heads ofhotl {
human and inferior animals, may be picked ~ n
from its sides and summit. In l943, was d,a
from the large mound, a stone figure Of a fiat
head Indian, ina sitting position, similar to tint
in which our tailors sit. This is a mastespieco
of workmanship, and explains very well tho man.
ner in which the bandages were kept on durinp
the time of compression. 1t was found by one Of {
Mrs. Furguson's negroes, and purchased BY D,. l
Coleman, and sent to my cabinet. It holds a /
huge pipe bowl in its arms, and no doubt waa
used as a national pipe ofpeace, and much WI. /
ued by its possessors.
A short time after, | received another. ton \
inches high and in a standing attitude, with fat.
tened head, and formed from out of terracotta /
it represented an aged male, Enthusiastically paint. I
ed in standing colors on both head and bo1v :
The head and chest were hollow, and in the for. /
mer they found two beautiful pearl beads, ona.
fourth of an inch in diameter, and four comm.
sition balls of the same size the latter CAVITY !
contained two heads, each weighing upwards Of
half an ounce, one of copper, the other galena. /
both in their native state. | made drawings II |
several finely carved pipes, which were found at
these mounds; their possessor would not Dart
with them on any consideration. East oftbe
mounds, q few miles, and under the sill off barn
lies the bust of an Indian, as large as life, carved
in soft sand stone it was found on the river
shore in front ofthis system. 1t was much dis
figured by the a~ttrition Of the water and sand
but enough of its form remained to show thai
it had been well roportioned and finely finished.
Coins formed from Ignite, bearing rude
impressions, similar to those figures in a forme,
paper, are frequently picked VI about the large
mounds. Throughout the contiguous field d
great number Of fine axes Of all sizes are almost
daily picked up, but none as yet have been found
in the mounds themselves.
The day beginning to decline, We closed our
excavations and dismissed the force, and took
the pleasure Of clambering up the hills and ra-
vines surrounding the group. At our right, d
few hundred yards from the mounds, We seated
ourselves upon the ruins OF al old Spanish set
~tlement, called Gioso. 1t was in honor of The
first Governor of Natchez, under the Spanis,
+ rule, who was massacrei with all his reople by
I the Natchez, for his cruelty to the Indians. 1t
, Hourished for a number Of years, ard it was az
one time thought that it would prove n formi-
:. dable rival to Natchez, but on account of the
@ malignant disease that annually visited It, ives
4 finally deserted. and the buildings allowed to do
$ cay down.
The old church, however, was kept up by tho
!, planters, till of late years; ard in this old lilapl,
q dated Spanish relic our mnc! ~'anentel Piest
If dent, Andrew jackson, was bound in holy mat
70 rimony, to the wife Of brutal mar in Ken
lucky, with whom jackson elopsl, after chang
10 Ing shots with the husband, At the front q
the hill, and at the pcbbly shore, lin the cut
Al you will see q little group and their boat
10 was here where Andrew jackson landed will
ne that much injured lady, who with all his usta
es irmness he swore to protect through life, whicl
of he religiously adhered to.
81 1t is but a few years since the old African NJ
gro who accompanied him and witnessed tn
marriage, died and his narration of this adyer
Or ture is fresh in the minds Of many persons, no'
residing in Jefferson county, Mississippi.
We returned to the mounds where our horst
NC were waiting, and our relics properly packe'
Dt and placed in our carriage, Just as he sun va
.s going down we saw the gigantic forest tree
the picturesque hills, and the bold scenery th'
I'd surrounded MS, fading away IN the obscurity
- the distance. We mounted our horses, sei2t
our reins and bid adieu to our kind friends, al
l, the %strongholds in which dwelt the Kings Of
~ gigantic race.
y"