The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-22
BY RICHARD WYvERN.

LCopyrA~ ed 1895. by S. S. Mcclure.
Limited.
Far <1wn on the gulf coast of
Flor. a long. narrow peninsula. ex-
tending southwark from the mainland.
separates the gulf from a beautiful
inland bay connected with it by
deep inlet at the southern point of
the land. This sun-kissed peninsula
bears unmistakable evidences that it
Is not new to human possession, the
most interesting being a canal two
miles north of the southern end of
the peninsula, connecting the gulf anG
bay: and line of earth work, ex-
tending along the gulf front, from the
mouth of the canal to the inlet.
The canal appears to have been or
iginally about % feet deep, and 45 to
SO feet wide. Where it crosses, the
peninsula is something more than a
mile wide, but it does not follow a
straight line, turning, with perfect
angles, to take the best advantage of
the lay Of the land. The line of earth
work, though somewhat higher and
thicker, resembles now the temper
airy breastworks thrown up on the field
by modern armies; but after ages of
exposure to wind and weather it may
be only remnant of what it was
originally.
By whor4 these works were made,
and for what purpose, is left to theory
and surmise. There is one tradition,
however, handed down and preserved
in a curious way, that attaches to
these old relics a tale of crime and
bloodshed. 1t was told me by an old,
white haired Floridian with whom, one
summers night, I was sailing along
the coast. He thought it might be
true; don't know, but will tell it as
1t was told to me. He said:
Tn my young days I followed hunt
Ing and trapping, and passed good
part Of my time with the Indians.
knew Osceola and some of the other
great chiefs of the Seminoles, and I'M
derstood their language quite well. It
is fifty years now since 1 first saw
the cid canal, and I determined, if
the Indians knew, to find out some
thing about It.
There was living with the Indians
at TRAIT time very aged negro, called
Papeta, in whom 1 was much inter
ested. Evidently he'd been a man of
magnificent stature and physique and
still possessed wonderful memory and
intelligence. His life, as I came to
know it, had been one of singular
4ldI 4cllAp anu adventure I1e was d Id
tive African-'born a chief among his
tribe'-and when boy ne had been
transported in a Spanish slave ship to
the New Spain in the New World.
His ownership had changed from
Spe nish to English masters and back
again to Spanish-as contending set
Elements and races alternated in con-
quest of victory: till fina, V he escaped
and became the slave OF Seminole
chief, whom he found, in his bar0aric
way, kinder and more human than the
Christians had been. He spoke Eng
lish, Spanish and the Seminole Ian
guages, and having a fondness for
old ales had learned many curious
Seminole legends and beliefs.
Il knew that if any man living could
tell anything about the canal and
earth work it would probably be old
Papeta, and one night when ne had
Joined me at my camp fire and seemed
in reminiscent mood. I asked him if
he knew anything about hem, or by
whom they had been made?
HE replied: When [ first saw them
I was as curious as you are, foc I was
sure they had not been 'nale bv the
Seminoles, and was anxious to find
out what other people had occupied