Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-05-25
For e Arkansas True Democrat. curiosities in fonroe County Arkansas

Forle Arkansas True Democrat. Curiosities inE Eonroe County, Arkansas
 BY W. NJ.
 MEssRs. EtoRs: In your paper of llth inst, 1 n oticefn interesting artlcle head ed < Cane Hif' and have thought that perhaps an aSunt of the curiosities that. exist in this Rt of the State, might not be uninterestiu to your readers.
 It is eviden that this western country was inhabited Ky race of people long be- fore the Indias cane, of whom they knew nothing whatcer The history of this people is wrappedin oblivion, and we will most probably nyer know more of them than we do now and that is nothing. - That they lived, ad moved, and had their being, on this eatl of ours, that they rcam- ed over these foets, and that their light canoes once elied over these bright waters ;s certain. but ho they were, from whence tbev came wba were their habits and oc cunations and bw they became extinct, Is a dark, impenerable mystery put 'iey bova loft monnaents of their labors to tell tbot tbav once lxisted, < more durable than broos ,, On Indian Bay and on Maddox Rav are numerous traces of their former abode. These Bays as they are called are kind bf arms from White river, extend- ;no for considerable distance out into the conntr. Indian Bay is about the same width as White river, and is navigable fo ! steamboats, for ten or twelve miles from the river. Maddox Bay, which is about thirty miles by water above the mouth ot Indian Bay, is navigable for fifteen or six teen miles from the river. These bays are thought to be old channels of the river, but this is uncertain.
 About four miles above the mouth of Indian Bay, are number of mounds which have been built by this mysterious people. One of them is particularly remarkable.- It stands immediately on the bank of the Bay, and much of it has crumbled away and fallen into tie water. It has original lv covered an area of about two hundred and fifty yards in circumference, and is thrown up about sixty or seventy-tive feet above the level d the surrounding country From the base of this mound to the sum init, every few feet there is stratum oi oshes interminaed with Jones Not only are there bones of wild animals and o large fishes, butthere are also many human bones. I was shown a human skull that was got out of that mound short time since, that was remarkable for its thjckness All the bones seem to be larger than com mon. In these mounds and on the sur face of the ground near them are founC thousands of broken pieces of earthenwart of very rough kind, mostly plain, but some have been ornamented. At Maddox Bay the same things are found.
 At Lawrenceville on this bay are severa mounds of precisely the same kind as those just described There is one large mound at this place with something like ditcf surrounding it, and seems as if 1t may once have been the site of fort. It is rather singular that no pieces of earthenware arc found unbroken. There was one very awk wardly shapen kind of jug picked up on s mound at Lawrenceville, which was entire but this is the only one that 1 have evei heard of being found. I have been showr a queer looking image of mans bust made of clay, that was picked up at Law renceville
 Many large trees are growing on thes mounds which show that they are of an cient date As was mentioned by you -----.---aaJo.. e~v canv hlII, the Indlan that were nere many years ago, had n knowledge of who built these mounds an had no traditions respecting them.