The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-10
The Great Beaufort Mastodon.

From the Charleston Mercury, May 1g. ~-@
The - oldest nIIahtant" in South Carolina, OF whom
we have any knowledge, was introduced to our ac-
quainrance Yesterday. Eve the best OF our fami-
lies whether of Hnguenot Cavalier, Spanish or In
dian descett cannon cope in antiquity with our friend
Nav, even Tennyson's grand old rdener and his
wife" whose tide has generally been held unlmpeach-
able are but modern parvenues as compared with the
family Of the ProGoscidia Pachydeimata, TO one of
the Individuals of which paid respects yester
dav We mentioned weeks ago, that Captain
Buutelie of the United States survey had dis
covered Lands End, Port Royal at low water mark.
the skeleton OF masodon and that with the enthu-
siasn Tor science CHARACTERISTIC OF his corps he at once
communicated tie fact to Prof Shepard, i"vting him
and his son, Dr. q. Shepard, j., to assist him in
exhumng il with the least possible damage TO the en-
firety of these o>seous remains The huge antedilu-
Wan arthed and brought to this city not in his
toiaity, but Tor member OF his family he MADE de-
ceni enough appearance.
negro, who assisted in the elimination, said that
abb ut ten years ago lie and others, while digging for
marsh muck" in that vicinity found number of
bonea. which doubtless belonged to the Beaufort
nasfodon. Unfortunately for science, there then
no frerdmau's bureau Pompey, July and Hard Times
had not yet learned to read. aud there to
protect these bones from INSULT and they have become
lost destroyed.
4 This nastodon was found in stratum of fresh wa.
ter mari, about four and half feet in Depth thinning
off toWards the edge showing that this either the
edge OF The deposit or else basin of fresh water
mari. " hag brought this huge the deep is
very Interesting question. 1t may be he had come
oyster fishing expedition, and ventured too tar
into the marsh and got mired in the mud Who shall
say? There are, however, few difficulties in this
theory One is, that there is to believe that
the asodon had prejudice against oys In fact
he Grabamite, vegetarian. 1t is more than
likely that this basin then dry land and that mas
todon did thither 60 to grass but how other
came to grief, and hit the dust. "
The individual before about the size of large
India ee phant Indeed the mastodon is more like the
elephant in other respects than any other animal
in existence He have been peculiar to North
America and many Skeletons more or less complete
have been found from Canada all the way to Texas
When he left this light of life and why he took his
leave questions that have puzzled men of science
for many long years. -" ..
The thigh bone of this post peiocene citizen is four
and halt feet long, diameter at the condye foot and
fourteen inches at the tronchantera The ribs meas.
ure three to four feet in length. The bones generally
are in excellent preservation some are very fragile
and crumbe into dust upon the merest touch Some
are partially petrlted, while others again appear to
have undergone scarcely any change.
The axis" is remarkably well preserved, weighing
about four pounds It's anteso posterior diameter is
fifteen inches, lateral about the same; the arcuar
surface clean and smooth, as professional skeleton
list could have prepared it, Hei7ht of the axis from
tip of odohtoid process lower articulang surface
eight inches. - / .''.
One skeleton, probably the largest ever found, was
exhumea i'll 1916, in Newburgh, New York. Length
OF skeleton twenty-five feet, and height twelve feet.
Sir Charles Lye estimates the period of their ext:nc
ton at about thirty thousand years ago.