New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-26
Antiquities In Florida.


A correspondent of the Cincinnati; Com.
mercial, writing from Pinecastle, Florida,
says:
The Commercial. copies an account of the
opening OF o mound on Colonel Harris
plantation on Murphy's leland. near
Pilatka. 1t is one of the points noticed by
Sparks, Bartram and Brenton. Coming
down the St. Johns there are several such
sites. On the southern end of Lake George
is an artificial reservoir, 100 yards wide
and $50 yards long. and a tumulus, also
artificial, and probably built of the earth
removed from the former. There were
found on it live oaks Of three feet in di-
ameter. On Black Creek were found re-
mains of the early French colony, and in
Orange, on the base of heap OF earth,
like ruined fertilization, incioeed in the
arms of U, a bead, with double
las let in. 1t is hard to determine ii it was
the work of an ingenious savage or white
man, but the characteristic symbol points
to the latter. In the big Cypress Swamp,
crossed by De Soto's expedition. q very
narrow bladed Spanish ex, resembling q
wedge. was found by some Hoosier eX-
plOrers. We have in Florida river Miami
Tor MaiacO), or rather series OF water
courses, like an unstra1ded rope. Remein-
tains survive, have supposed, from this
characteristic, that the original signi6ca-
ton of the Algic word Miami, found from
Ohio to Florida, means watershed. Silver
Springs. to which point the navigation of
the Ocklawaha is limited by low water. has
many relics of ancient civilization about
it-pottery, axes, arrow heads, all the
marks of a dense population. Every river
shows such marks. They are abundant ON
| NJ NJ nh M, Of nd loo
ties, in the hummooks of the Suwanee, on
the Miami, st. Johns, Indian river and the
Kissinee.
The characteristic Of the artificial topo-
graphy of the Florida tribes, was q high,
pyramidal mound; an earth form, resem-
bling the Mexican TeocaNts and the Egyp-
tian pyramids, near lake or river, and
having stately avenues leading up to it or
to an artificial reservoir strangely suggest
ing that artificial irrigation, seen in the
New Mexican accquias, and period when
q powerful Indian nationality, unbroken by
physical cataclysms or rebellions he'd, in
populOus civilization, oil the Southern States
between the two seas. Indeed, Bristow g
narrative, published in 1856. and describ.
ing the mountain of Olaimi lifting its
barren, round summit above the holy
city of Melilot at its base, is sufii-
GENTLY accurate description of the Indian
Guy duu TOCA Va AIuAl. hS AOAoAAu 0c
the pyramidal mounds and artificial lakes
are the highways, about fifty yards wide,
sunk little below the common level, and
the earth thrown up on each side, making a
bank about two feet high. From the St.
Johns to tho Keys, these mounds, reser-
voirs and highways we're visible few
years ago. There are such mound cities
near Lake Monroe and Lake Harvey, be-
sides those on Lake George. Blue or white
glass beads are found, and small earthen-
ware pyramids of triangular bases, sug-
costing some symbol allied to the pyra-
mdal TeocalHS. Some bones found in these
mounds are huge, indicating gigantic
stature, but the Indian understood the law
of the Survival of the fttest," and the
royal races in Florida were anakims, seven
or eight feet in stature.
The Northern tourist who expects to see
these curiosities drifts over the slow,
smooth rivers under picturesque foliage.
and sees very little Of them. To find them,
one must penetrate the humm ooks, and have
an educated eye to detect the difference be-
tween natural and an artificial elevation