The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-12-26
Curious vestiges in the Swiss Lakes.

Curious Vestiges in the Swiss Lakes.
Tue b"aimen on tho Swiss lakes. when
navigating close TO tho shore. mad. from
time itnmemOrial observed in various places.
under tho Iin,trlnsparent water, tbs heads
OF numberloss wO"den stakes just prottudlng
through The deposit Uf soft silt which is .
generally found at the bottom Here and
thdsc, along with these large blocks nF wood
were vIsibu stag horns of great sZe. bones
aud fragments ot pottery. There still lived
among them traditional belief that these
were the remains OF dwellings. occupied by |
people of ancient times. who butt Oh the
lakes in order to shelter themselves from
Wild boasts. Aud vet century after century
elapsed. aud no one had the curlusity IN |
ln"k closer into those scattered fragments
ct n forgotten world. until the season had
ripnncd for th" iual discov,Ty.
Bot it so happened that in 1883 and 1854
a period OF unusual drNncss set in The
higher mountains did uot receive their usual
supplies at winter snow. and the lakes
scautIiy ted by the glacier Streams TEL Tar
helnw their ordinary level. In the Lake ot
Zurich, the lowest level hitherto marked on
the so. Called stone Of Sta.a" had been al
tanned IN 1914 IN 1854 the water was n
loot luwUr ln u small bav between Obcr
Mran and Dulliknn. the inhabitants took
advantage OF tho recession 10 Increase thrir
gardens. by building "A wall along the new
low water line. and filling up the space thus
acquired with earth obtaIncd by dredging
tho lake. During tbs operation. thUy
found great Eumhers ot piles nf Grcrhorns
aud also snmU Implements" The attention
0t DR. L. kueIer, OF Zurich. was called to
the discovery; ard tho result of his invCs j.
cations. (drscrIhed bv him III three memoirs
presented 10 the antiquarian society OF
Zurich. IN 1854 1858 aud .560) was TO
establish the exlstDnce 0t submerged lake
| village IN thus part ut the Lake of Zurich.
| IhIs discovery was rapidly followed by
uthUrs In Lake Constauce. Grnova. Neuf
| chatoi, B,unue, Mnrut. Senpach. and in
many smaller onos. Unkwvl. Pthfiikon,
| Mo"soedOrt, Lussel } similar siIes have b-ou
| traced They seem. inderd, now 10 mul
| tipIy in tho note books of arci &c Iogists
win almost inconvouient rapldiiy. Two
years ago twenty six such village sites had
already been traced and described in the
! Lake OF Nuuichatel al0no. twenty. four in
| that of Geneva. sixteen in that of Constance
aud We cauuot toll how many more the Zeal
OF local inquiry. stimulated bv rivalry. NAV
have Slnce dslnterred Aud The amount ot
acquires magnitude still more f0rmidabls
twenty four thousand of these have bn"u
raised from the single locality of Concise
! ~ the Lake OF Nrufchatel. We are stlII
| very tat. says MIR. Troyon. from having
recovered all the relics mnbedie in tho sIr
al the lakes aud tho poat of the valleys.
! Nevertheless. we are nv this time acq nainted
wih II sufficient uumber of points of rs
maI kablo iIcbnnss to enable us to give. bv
heir description. an idea of that ancinni
| population WHICH had the habit OF living on
| these waters.
Tho first posscssors os the soil Ohio Wild
beasts had to retlio step bs step before u
new p"puiaton. wbrch came tn raise upon
no waters ITS picturesque groups of cabins
the smoke of wnose hearIhs spread itself III
tho air. FIRES lighted on the beach. where
the domestic suimuls were folded, served
10 keep ~ u distance during the nigh: the
caruiverous ones, who Ms yet had only
earnt to know that element by the electric
flashes uf the storm. As suon as the lacus
trine habitstinn hail attained some d"vCl"p.
msnt, thousands of piles supported plat.
form crowned bv numerous circular huts.
with conical roof. A narrow br dgs con
uected these dwellings with the shore
buatS fastened 10 the shors served for fall
ing and tor voyages of discovery. Among
the trophies OF tho chase which decorated
the dwellings,. wole the an:iere ot huge
stays. bear skins. the names of wild bOars
and the skulls Of wild huls The furniture
was OF the most primitive kind. Leaves
dried grass. moss aud s'ra~ heapcd upor
the tipor, served the purpose of beds. Or
the hearth. situate in The middle of tn,
room. was placed the pot du.feu. OF the
$ family.
s The earthenware vessels were grouped
, in some corner. The arms and variuu'
utensils hung from tho roof These Sigh
Installations sheltered thousands Of families
during number 0l centuries but who will
ever rnl OF oil tho sconos of joy and grio
: which they have witnessed
And now, after enumerating the differen
; branches of industry which charac er,Ee'
? tho life of theso lacustrine races. It may no
e be out of pase to remark that the inhnb
liant of tho village had also his pleasures
a and amusemens Tho stone quoUs found
m tho lakes resemble those which Ih'
North American Indians sull eRplUy IL
'heir sports. A people of huntsmen mus
: have found pleasure in the handling o
wea pons. and IN riValries of skill and dex
rrrty in hitting the mark. throwing th'
i iavelin, the race and the wrsstle. Living
. nn tho lakes. they must havO frequent,
- made it an am usement TO handle the oar
:, or to cleave the waters in swimming matches
; The children of rhs tribe. like tho dweller
y on the shores of our lakes at the presen
c dav. PLAYED on the surface of the water o
u plunged into II from their platforms. Again
d when ~e see how proud these people wer'
5 nf ad"rnng themselves with rings passed
n round all :heir limbs. With long pins. pen
!, dents. and even rstrles, it mag be ssleI
!, concluded that they were not less attached
;, " 10 a,nusements and fetss."-EdiR6Mrg Re
ltlc.
!. A WORD ABOUT DREAMS Dreams ar
the nccnmnnnImAnt of bnth ideness an