American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-11-06
Sfllsttllantous.
The 'Mysterious Music' Of NIissis
sippi Sound.

southernly direction into Mississippi
Sound, through two separate mouths,
its embouchure forming PascagOHla
Bay. The mouth of the
Pascagoufa River is celebrated for
] the mysterious music which may
f6ften be heard on still summer even
ings. The listener being on the
beech, or yet more favorably upon
the river, a low, plaintive sound is
heard, rising and falling Ike that of
an Eolian harp, and seeming to issue
from the water. The sounds, which
are represented as indiscribably
sweet and plaintive, cease as soon
as there is any noise or disturbance
of the water. The actual occurrence
of this phenomenon, not only at the
mouth of the Pascagou!a, but other
points on the same coast, is fully at
tested by unquestionable evidence.
1t is the subject of various legends
and traditions, but the most plausa
BILE conjecture in explanation of its
origin is, that it is Occasioned by
some species of shell-fsh or other
marine animal. A somewhat similar
phenomenon is mentioned by Sir
Emerson Tennent as occurring in
certain situations on the coast of
Ceylon"-Neac American CyclopGdia,
rol. rit., p. Is.
Thus wrote the writer of the pres
ent article, some eight or nine years
ago. His purpose now is to confirm,
correct, and complete what was thus
stated from secondary sources of in
formation by the relation of some
curiosities of later personal expert
ence. For the better understanding
and appreciation of these, it may be
well to add to the above few par
ticulars, the details of which were in
compatible with the requirements of
cyclopadic brevity.
The {. mysterious music" has been
the theme for curious wonder and
romantic speculation from time i'm
memorial-Ce ertainly from a pcriori
not long. If at all, subsequent to the
first European settlement of that
part of the coast of VIII was then
the extensive colony of Louisiana
Mr.. Gayarre, in his Louisiana" Civ
ing an account of Il tour through the
colony made by Governor Perier il
the year 1927, tells us that, "while
among the Pascagoulas, or bread
eaters, he was invited to go to the
mouth of the river OF that name t(
listen to the mysterious music whicl
floats on the waters-particularly ol
calm, moonlight night-and WhIcl
to this day eXcites the wonder o
visitors. 1t seems to issue from th'
caverns or grottcs in the bed of th'
river. and sometimes OozeS VI
through the water, under the yer.
keel of the boat which contains tn
inqulsitive traveller, whose ear i
= strikes as the distant concert of
thousand Eolian harps."
The following account of one G
: the legends associated with the pht
: nomenon is condensed from the sam
author:
On the Pasca agoula coast, one
dwelt peculiar tribe, differing i
color, customs, and religion, trol
. other American Indians. Their con
plpxion was lighter, and traditio
to declared that their ancestors ha
sprung from the sea. They were
" gentle, gay, inOffensive race" fon
of holidays and festivals, livin
chiefly on fish and oysters, and 81
guIarly gifted with musical taste al
powers. The principal object
Y, their worship was a mermaid,
marine goddess, whose image thu
ss were wont to worship on moonllg
nights with songs and strains of e
l. uuisite melody, drawn from music
Instruments of shape and structa
IS peculiar to their own race.
v. Among these people, shortly aft
- the destruction of Mauvila by Desc
IS lin 1889, says Gayarre-more prot
bly, in 154Ol, appeared a veneral
tly Christian missionary. He co
menced the work ofinstructlng tn
nd in the truths of the Gospel, and v
making fair progress in their conv
sion when he was baf1ed by u fe
full prodigy performed by the spi
ual foe.
One midni ght, at the full of
i0' moon, when, the waves OF the b
or river, rolled inward, gather
Themselves into a huge column,
sEs Ss the top of which stood the merm;
ON. the Indians ran to the shore to
ness the miracle. There the ey
Gnu the seanymph fascinated them;
her voice, calling them III tones
supcrhuman melody, so utterly
witched and maddened them,
the whole tribe-men, women,
II childrpn-plunged into the water
return no more. Ever since may
NOS. heard, from time to time, faint eel
,tiop of the siren strains that lured t
tf into the deep.
tai Tradition" says Mr.. Gays
'urther relates that the poor pl
died i'll an agony of grief. and
he Attributed this awful event
victory of the powers of darkness
his not having been in a perfect 5
:. of grace when lie attempted the
version of those infidcls. It is
tlbEs IlbNetl tidG lit S'i'ts WI lIIN 'CGL q
Old that these dpluded pagan 5
4 K ,.Sii lkg would be redeemed from their b
age and sent to the kingdom
heaven, if. on a Christmas night
twelve o'clock, when the moon
- hlppen to be at meridian, Il p
= should dare come alone to
or musical spot, in Il boat propelle,
AOI' himself, and drop a cruciiiX into
water. But, alas! if this be
.ide of done, neither the holy man noI
4 Ian boat is to be seen again by III
:" eyes. So far the attempt has
lngs been made; skeptic minds
r cash, sneered, but no one has been t
q are s,re .e bold enough to try the emperin
1t may occur to the reader tha
chances of success in trying tn
Ter. pertinent may depend, in som
,e-e,i gree uDOn the maroiu of 1pNi