The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-27

way; while the cotton-mouth mecca
sins, more dreaded than rattlesnakes
because equally venomous and more
vicious, were numerous.
At noon they rested awhile on big
cypress log and estimated that they
had penetrated the swamp about
mile and a half, in a straight line. All
the afternoon they pressed on, making
somewhat better progress, and at sun
down reached a spot of open cypress,
where the ground, though soggy, was
now free from surface water. They
estimated that they were about three
and a half miles direct from their
starting place. Here they built fire
and camped for the night. They deter
mined to start at daybreak the next
morning and go on until noon, unless
high ground should be discovered soon
err; II nothing was reached by noon,
they would turn back.
They were walked with the earliest
glimmer of the next day by the trump
citing of flamingoes. the squawking of
herons and the believing of gators
and croaking of frogs. As soon as it
was light enough TO see they started
on.
Just before noon they were rewarded
by a glimpse of high land ahead,
which was reached at last by swim
ming through a few yards of deep wa
ter beyond which the bluff banks of a
high hammock island came sloping
down. 1t rose at least 20 feet above
the surrounding swamp contained per-
haps five acres. and was covered by a
dense growth of live oak, rubber, mas
tic and magnolia trees, with very lit
tie underground.
Our adventures estimated they were
five miles from the edge of the swamp,
and. naturally. supposed that theirs
were the first human footsteps 10 tread
this beautiful but inaccessible spot.
What. then. was their surprise to find
near the center of the island five or
six ancient buildings. now rotting
down. but in a fair state of preserve
ton.
They were all one story high, some
with two, and others with only one
large room. and were built entirely of
hewed logs and rived boards of cypress
wood.
The logs. hewed to a straight edge on
four sides. were laid with the broad
faces down. dove-tailed together at the
concrete which had become as hard as
stone, making the walls tight and sol
i'd The floors were made of smaller
timberS. hewed to about four inches in
thickness, and showed the wear. SEEM
ingly, of several generations of con-
slant use. In eacn Dulldlng tnere were
loop holes. but whether for guns or
bows and arrows could not be told;
and there were pegs and shelves on
which to hang or place household ar
ticles.
Roofs had fallen in. foundations had
rotted, and the walls. inside and out,
were dark and dingy with age: but
enough was left to show that I'm size
and workmanship these buildings had
been far superior to any of the log
houses on the adjacent mainland Evil
IDENTIFY, the men by whom the logs had
been hewed and fitted together were
master workmen in that kind of con-
struction.
on the far side OF the island they
found a canal. about eight feet wide
and four feet deep. extending through
marsh land TO a much larger. though
lower island. distant from the first
perhaps three fourths of a mile This
larger island was high enough for Gull
tivation, and had probably been used
for that purpose-the canal being used
to transport crops TO the dwellings,
All this, however. was mere conjec-
ture. IL there had been cultivated
fields. they had long since gone back