266 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



posterity of the new western states must and will seek 

 to make the mouth of the Mississippi free. 



Particulars and circumstantial accounts regarding 

 the origin and natural condition of this new colony at 

 Kentucky I had recently from America, in a description 

 drawn up by John Filson, of which I have given an 

 epitome in the Gelehrten Anzeigen, Erlangen ; but the 

 repetition, in the Appendix, No. Ill, will not be un- 

 acceptable. 



Among the natural curiosities of the Kentucky 

 country, the wonder of all travellers has long been 

 excited by the numerous large teeth and bones found 

 there, of an animal at this time existent neither in that 

 region nor anywhere in America. The place where 

 these were first discovered lying in great heaps is a 

 low hill on the east side of the Ohio, 2-3 miles from 

 its banks and about 584 miles below Fort Pitt, reckon- 

 ing by the course of the river. At the head-spring of a 

 little brook, where also there are several large salt- 

 plashes, the heavy tread of the buffalo congregating 

 there, what with the help of wind and weather, brought 

 to light this heap of bones, which lay buried only a very 

 little way beneath the surface. The quantity of the 

 bones is said to be very considerable; but judging by 

 what lies quite exposed or protrudes from the earth, 

 several persons have estimated that there must be there 

 skeletons of at least 12-15 animals. But how many 

 more might be found. below? This was likely a nu- 

 merous herd of animals which found here their com- 

 mon grave. Touching the one-time owners of these 

 bones, the native Americans show quite as much igno- 

 rance as that so far displayed in the conjectures of 

 the most respectable naturalists. The enormous size 



