The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09
In Fl FLOODED REGIONS.
sTnAVoE SCENES IN THE STAMPS
lLONG THE MISSISSIPPI

Companionship with Man-NcEroes Rebel
Against y diet OF wild Turkeys and Mock
,,r u,r..-rh. p..,r,c,,o, or cnme-Scene,
80
New ORLEANS, May 6.-The nrchRologists
and scientists who mako n specially OF the lake
dwellers of Switzerland have a splendid chance
Just now to SEQ and study tho everyday life OF
these prehistoric people In the overfiowed sec
lions OF Louisiana and Mississippi, for the Hood
sufferers of these States have returned TO a con-
dition Of life OF more than Arcadian simplicity,
such as Adam and Eve enjoyed In Eden before
tho fall-the life OF castawayso on n desert island,
or even that OF the old lake jewellers.
Where tho greater portion Of the population
lie camped out on the levccs along tho Missis-
sippi River, because this gives them n better
chance of communication with passing boats,
tho simplicity OF tho lako jewellers Is best seen
on the so-called Indian mounds, OF which there
are so many in tho great Mississippi swamp that
stretches from the Bayou Macon hills of Louis
lana TO tho Poutotor ridge OF Mississippi. n dis
tan:c Of from 30 to 100 miles. Throughout this
region, nearly equal in area to tho state OF New
York. nrc hundreds of these mounds. which
archeologists. half a century ago, were accus-
toned to regard as bearing some relation to re-
ligion because of their form, or as aboriginal
cemeteries because of the many skulls and bones
they contained.
In the Louisiana swamp there are two varieties
OF mounds, the shell banks, or cherricres. made
by nature, and the artificial mounds, made by
the 'aborigines. The former have been caused
by somo mighty cataclysm, overwhelming mil
lions Of prehistoric shellfsh, which have either
by the floods or the waves been piled up in inn
mcnse heaps. The socalled Indian mounds arc
In no way of religious origin, like the serpent
mounds In tho Western states, nor, 1t now APP
pears, were they erected by the average red
Indians. An examination recently insti-
tutcd proves that they were intended for
just the purpose for which they are used to-day
IA refuge from the Mississippi overhows. That
there arc hundreds of bodies buried in them is
true. but this is probably due to the same cause
that there was no other land where a body
could be buried safely, and they are to-day re-
verting to their original uses. Those who die in
the overfowcd regions of Louisiana and Missis-
sippi during the present high water are buried.
err ncccSsitdtc, in these mounds, and mingle their
dust with that of the aborigines.
There is nothing sadder than an overflow fu-
neral. The funeral party rows to the grave in.
hoats, skiffs. pirogues. bateaus, and every variety
OF rude river craft, too many of them exactly like
n cheap coffin. There is a prejudice against the
system of burial adopted by sailors at sea, and
as the levees are not a convenient or even safe
place for interment, the nearest Indian mound
is chosen, and the body is deposited in spite of
tho fact that perhaps 200 or $50 persons are
campcd out in the same mound.
That the aborigines who built these mounds
were not Indians has been proved during tho
last year by the careful examinations made by
Tulane University. Their builders were proba-
bly, akin to the AZtecs, their pottery being very
similar, as we'll as their skulls, SC. They seem,
like the original AZtccs, to have settled in a
swampy country as Il means of protection from
the wilder Indian tribes around them. The over
flows of the Mississippi compelled the erection
OF mounds. upon which they dwelt, leading n
peaceful life anil apparently supporting them
selves by fishing. An examination Of these
mounds showed them to be at least 900 years
old, and built, not at one time. but gradr-
ally from year to year. for they arc
composed of different strata of earth. AS
Tho Mississippi floods grew higher and higher.
The nborigines raised their mounds very much
10 year to-day in order to keep above water.
r,c ,nourds v,crc nj thc s,r,o time ,bc;r hours
:, '"'. -. ''.' W ne'4 VII,
AMI their burial places for there was no place in
in tho ground rho nouna dwc,,rrs hn'i disan.
na.rod hotoro ~. Soto ,tmnn,d ;n,o .ho .,,,,~in,
paarcd bc'orc lc 500 plunged INTO tue ;'.!uVial
district of the Mississippi. and when the swamps
warc eynlorcd worry fc,v NJ tho ,pourds vc-c in
Mesu eSpiot'" very .'" q th1 IounuH "eFcih
hebited. and these by renegade Indians or rem
nants of tribes that had been annihilated. who
had sought refuge IN the wilderness.
Upon these elevations to-day the negroes OF
the ovSrhowed districts have sought refuge. and
- '"es IN pN"e'", 'Mp.''t! '".N''
&c ABOVE that OF Inc mound builders OF n thou
Blnl years ago. There arc no stoves, and the
fool Is cooked in nion,cr fashion over In, fires
W.. - n'nse '"'o Nv 'o@ ~.
ihcrc is no sheite' OF cover overhead. ana Inc
.grocs sleep in the open air wrapped up in blan-
ko,. and cntrrotcd with cvorv rn;r,,u \otrr,
"Nr' "'u ! ~ 80 "'N" "''
fortunately! provides food in abundance very
much rs mama was of old sent to tho children
n. J,r,cl i, tho desert and vberc Tho raurocc
81. ."' "'.' "".'o -.
permit IL inc 'ohoitioh Is very similar TO the
Arcadian days when the lion and the
Lamb Law down together, FIR all thc Wild animals
-. ua 80 ,ah,a na,nna an ,m, in,eas
OF Inc swamp nave taken refuge on the ievocs
or ridges. having, in their terror of the flood. lost
all fear of man. The scene ON one of these
,mounds must be very much like the landing of
Noah from the ark; and the resemblance. is
heightened by the fact that the shanty or
Johnnie" boat, affected BY the river tra.1;ps
and wanderers and to be seen throughout the