The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-09-09
THE WEEKLY IBERlAN.
E.F MgzhARD, Proprietor.
Established h February. 1893.
Subscription lrico, 81 90 per Annum
OFF ciAL JOURNAL OF CITY.
An Indian Legend

kapas prairie on the east side of
the Teche, at about nine miles
from the town of st. Martinsvllle.
The beauty Of it's scenery and its
picturesque landscapes, have,
probably no equal in che State.
Its waters have the transparency
of crystal, and its depth averages
from ninety to one hundred feet.
The word Ca-ta oulou, means
the lake of Sacrifice. The follow.
ing legend, as dramatic and tragl.
cal as the biblical narrative of the
death of Jephtah's daughter, gives
us the origin Of that name,
The Tetimetchec Indians, being
threatened with dire calamity,
the nature of which we know not,
their prayer-men consulted their
oracles and were Informed, that to
prOpitiate the great ManitOu, and
to avert the calamity, fair
maiden of the tribe was to be sac.
rifced to the cruel God, and her
soul drowned in the PLACID waters
of lake Ca.ta.ou lou.
The beautiful Alta la, the fair
daughter of the chief offered her
self as a willing victim to propi.
tiate the great Spirit.
Dressed in all the finery and
picturesqueness of apparel of an
Indian princess, she repaired to
the lake in whose waters she was
to find watery grave, followed
by the weeping maidens and by
the stern warriors of the Tribe.
She glided in her light canoe on
the waters of the lake until she
had reached the middle of the
stream, aud with eyes upraised
aud hands extended towards the
heavenly mansion Of the grea|
MantiOu. sue offered him her you'll
and her life blood as a sacrifice tt
nrOnitiate him and to avert th(
calamity that threatened her peO
pie.
With radiant smile, she thel
turned towards the shore of th
lake where knelt the weeping
maidens--she waved her ham
gently to them, bidding them al
eternal adieu, and plunged in it
waters, to be seen no more.
Superstitious persons asseI
that even to this day, in times Q
great calamity and misfortune
when the moon spans the sky an
\ shines serene in the high heavens
I streaklng with silvery fringe th
! gentle ripples of the lake, a shad
< owy form is seen gliding on it
x waters in a light canoe, wit
Il hands extended heavenward; an
\ they say, that all at once, utterln
Il a wild and unearthly shrek, th
n shadowy form plunges headlon
II in the waters aud disappear
\ while the terror stricken denlzen
= of the forest answer the shrie
X with howls and lugubrious hOOI
y ings.
J! From that time, lake Ca-ta-o'
! lou became the Sacred lake OF til
=! Indians, and every year they r
! paired to this spot, to propitia'
F! the Great Manitou with the
! offerings and sacrifices. In i
! crystalline waters, they plunge
:! themselves to get cleansed of the
: moral and physical impurities;
! its sacred waters, they dippt
! their amulets and arrows,
avert approaching calamities, al
!. to protect themselves against Il
devices of the evil spirit. I
d who could not make this year
pilgrimage felt despondeLt and
happy, and his inability to folle
the others in the sanity journe
BODIED him no good.
If whilst performing hiso imm
! zion in the lake, one should b
pen to drown, bis memory was
ecrated, and his death was c
sidere&, the judgment of the gre
Manitou, as an atonement for t
NJ crimes committed by him.
The lake is still called Ca ia
lou. the lake OF sacrifice. but
. Great Manitou, like his Ind
worshippers, is now a thing
,te the past.
in The beautiful lake, with
transparent waters and beautl