Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-12
THE RED MANS REH0B0TH
Some Interesting Antiquarian
Discoveries.
THE BLOODY BENDERS
Capture of the Kansas Fiends and
Their Confessions Horrible
Work of a Somnambulist--
Cutting a Mans Head
Off With an Axe.
MORE SPURIOUS DIPLOMAS
X REHOBOTH.

hEHOBO1hs
A Eavorite Watering place fer Ages
Past Interesting Antiquarian ite-
searches Showing that the Ised
Men were Wont 10 Resort TO IsehO-
both and spend Their Summers
There.
The following interesting paper was
read by MIR. Francis Jordan, Dr., before
meeting of the Numisma'ic and Antigua
risn Society of Philadelphia:
Mr.. President IL have the pleasure of
submitting TO the society some notes OF an
examination of the remains of an aborig-
nal encampment at Rehoboth, watering
place on the coast of Delaware five miles
south of the venerable town of Lewes,
about 130 miles from Philadelphia, and 10
miles from Cape May, from which i. lies
diagonsly opposite.
Twenty-one years have elapsed since
my first visit to this interesting spot, and,
although l have made several subsequent
visits, the only favorable opportunity Of
making a careful investigation occurred
during the summer of 1879.
Twelve years ago there was no visible
habitation within five miles of it, unless
we except rough plank shed erected by
the fraternity of sportsmen as shelter
during the autumn cunning season. Since
then veritable city by the sea has sprung
up, almost in night, and bids fair to out
strip many of its older and better known
rivals.
Directly in the rear of what is now called
Rehoboth Beach, and distant from the sea
not over 800 feet, stretch out these in
teresting remains, than which, 80 far as I
have been able to ascertain, no similar
example of an encampment possessing the
same archaeological value exists on the
Atlantic seaboard; and these features
have been preserved by reason OF its COM
psrative inaccessibility and remoteness
from the haunts of men, combined with
remarkable natural defenses. As COM
pared with other similarly situated local
tiles the typographical changes have been
trivial, and if any have been produced by
the winter gales and not by the sea. as the
ocean currents that set in along this part
of Delaware are known to have maintained
their one UNMARRIED course north and south
for almost century, and thus prevented
any enoroachment upon the coast line.
The tremendous force of these winds Is
evidenced by an immense sand dune that
has been blown up between the Capes
and Lewes, and which annually recedes in
land several inches, burying in its course
great pines, whose withered tops emerge
from the apex in long limo, like so many
spectres of departed race.
/ have not discovered any records of its
existence either in the Historical Society
of Delaware, or in the histories of the
early settlements of that State by which
to form some estimate of its antiquity, but
from the evidence to be adduced. it is
probable its establishment antedated the
arrival of the whites many years-perhaps
many centuries.
THE swEDEs ARRIVE.
In April, 1888, the ship of war Key Of
Calmar entered the mouth of the Della
wars bearing the first colony of Swedish
settlers to the New World. under the
leadership of Peter Menave. As narrated
by Acrelius, they made their first landing
on the western side OF the river at place
called by them Paradise Point, in the
neighborhood Of what is now Lewes, and
Immediately purchased land from the In
Gians, embracing tract Of country from
Cape Henlopen to the falls called Santic-
kau (rrenton Falls), and all the country
inland.
The Swedish historian does not mention
any extensive Iudian settlement in the
vicinity.
are in length three-quarters of mile, run.
ming in direct line north and south,
parallel with, and as l have said, distant
from the ocean some 300 or 400 feet, and
protected from it by sand bluff rising
six or eight feet above high water mark,
and extending from Rehoboth Beach to
Cape Henlopen. The width of the
encampment varies from 100 to 500 feet.
A ridge of sand hills intersects its length,
dividing it into nearly equal parts, and as
the southern section is on a higher plane,
the two form what may be called an upper
and lower encampment
THE RED MANS RRHoBoTH
Lying quarter of a mile south stretches
out the famous Rehobo.h bay, once the
habitation of CLANS and oysters, and whose
shallow waters still TEEN with great
variety of fish and mynods of hard and
shedder crabs. Skirting q portion of its
westerly boundary we behold one of those
phenomenal freaks Of nature rarely met
with on our coast, namely, three lakes
whose waters are perfectly fresh aud clear
AS any in our northern latitudes, although
within few hundred feet of the salt sea
The largest covers sume 80 acres OF land
and has mean depth of five feet. The
quantity of water in each remains nearly
tine same in all the constant exhaustion
from evaporation being supplied by hid
den springs.
In selecting this spot as the site for an
eneampmenis the Indians displayed II
keen appreciation of its unsurpassed nat
ural advantages. 1t was simply an elysiun
Here they had every comfort their savage
natures could wish for.
Game, fish, and oyster in abundance and
easily obtained. An inexhaustible supply
of fresh water at their very threshold and
the adjacent forest of white oak harborod
the deer and bear, furnished them with
fuel and lumber to construct their sea
canoe.
Hither for many centuries they an
nualiy came TO escape the execrating heat
of the inland villages, and probably re-
mained far into the autumn, or when the
geese ana auGks win whicn Tue ohy anu
thosa nlocid waters for a warmar cl;mste.
Uo,'oa; IL 10 tbat I calI tbi, an e,camnn,art
j., non,rad;stinc,ion tn thair narp,an.n,
nt;,;n1, ,,Iacss Ths eyidences of tbei,
ao;n''rs ;s ri r,heir aon,esiic hahi,s~ara many
ooJo"'" ' ', ~ -