The San Francisco call., 1896-12-29
oATLIN's LETTERS FOUND.

The Explorers Theory Concerning the
Tribe of Indians Called Mandans.
Among the old documents of the Smith
sonian Institution a number of letters OF
George Cstlin, the Western explorer.
writer painter and naturalist, were dis
covered lately. They bring out certain
facts connected with his explorations on
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in the
first part of the century, and they furnish
evidence that the tribe of Indians called
the Mandans, now extinct, were lineal
descendants of the followers of Madoc.
Madoc was the leader of the Welsh colony
which is thought to have landed on the
shores of this country in the fourteenth
century. The ancestors of these Indians
are supposed to have moved up from the
mouth of the Mississippi, where they had
landed, and to have been pushed far up
the Missouri by attacks of enemies until
they were entirely destroyed, either by
disease or the incursions of other tribes
Catlin descended the Missouri River
from the Mandan village to st. Louisa a
distance OF 1900 miles-and examined is
shores with great care. BY discovering
again and again the remains of the ancient
local tions of the Mandans, he traced them
down to the mouth of the Ohio River.
From exactly similar remains noticed
ir several places in the State of Ohio and
other States to the south. he arrived at the
conclusion that these Indians, from some
cause had made repeated removals, until
they arrived 1T their place of residence
at the time of their extinction on the Up
per Missouri. The ancient fortitications
of the Mandans inclosed great many
acres and were built on the banks of rivers.
l. 4 l., I, srNwv ~
height, with covered WAYS to the water,
and showed a knowledge of the science of
fortification apparently not century be-
hind that of the present day. 1t is not be-
lieved that they could have been built by
any nation of savages i'll America and
they are considered to present proof OF the
former existence of people very far ad-
vanced in civilization.
In Catlin's words, written in the '30,s,
his belief in regard to the early colony of
Welshmen was stated as follows:
"Now l am inclined to believe that the
ten ships of Madoc or a part of them at
least, entered the Mississippi River at the
Baliz and made their way up the Mississ-
ippi, or that they landed somewhere on
the Florida coast, and that the brave and
persevering colonists made their way
through the interior to position on the
Ohio River, where they cultivated their
fields and established in one of the finest
countries on earth fiourishing colony, but
they were at length set upon by the saw
ages, whom perhaps they provoked to
warfare, being trespassers OF their hunt
ing grounds, and by whom in overpower-
ing hordes they were besleged until it
was necessary to erect these for
tifications for their defense, sinto which
they were at last driven by confederacy
of tribes, and there neld till their am
mpnition and provisions gave out, and
they. in the end, have perished, except
perhaps, that portion of them who might
have formed alliance by marriage with
the Indians and their offspring, who
would have been half-breeds, and, of
course. attached to the Indian eide, whose
lives have been spared in the general mas
sacre, and at length being despised. as all
half breeds of enemies are, have gathered
themselvesAnto a band. and, severing
from their parent tribe, have moved off
and increased in numbers and strength as
they have advanced up the Missouri
River to the place whsre they have been
known for many hears by the name of
Mandans--a corruption or abbreviation OF
Madagwwys, the name applied by the
Welsh to the followers of Madawc."-St.
Louis Republic.