JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 251 



aborigines, as, at more than one place, on reaching the rock-salt, Indian 

 relics were found. He saw, at Mr. Ilenshaw's, a basket, obtained from 

 the surface of the rock salt, 15 feet below the surface of the soil, made of 

 split cane; and was informed they also found pieces of charcoal, appa- 

 rently the remnants of fires or torches. A rope of bark, wooden hooks, 

 stone ::xes, and pottery, were likewise obtained. 



Before lie visited the locality, tlie citizens ot New Iberia told him the 

 formation was volcanic, and that several similar, crater-shaped eminences 

 existed along the Gulf shore. Upon close examination, however, he not 

 only found no volcanic, or otber angular rock, whatever, but saw, at sev- 

 eral natural washes, and at cuts in the semicircular hill, or ridge, distinct 

 depositions of successive layers of sand and gravel; the latter entirely 

 rounded by attrition, and chiefly quartzose. That thrown out at the old 

 salt openings was of the same character. 



The highest point of the ridge is 160 feet above the water in the Gulf 

 at low tide. The sea, occasionally, from the combined influence of spring 

 tides and a wind blowing strongly from the south, rises in this region to 

 a considerable height, inundating the low lands and leaving salt marshes; 

 which circumstance almost renders the plantation an island, although it 

 is strictly peninsular. Formerly they reached it through canals in the 

 marsh by boats; but when salt became valuable, a causeway, or raised 

 road of dirt from the marsh, covered with plank, was constructed ; and 

 wagons came many miles to carry it off, at a cent and a half per pound, 

 delivered at the mouth of the excavation. 



After an inspection of some hours, made, as remarked, rather unfavor- 

 ably on account of rain, but still sufficiently in detail to be certain of the 

 facts, and, after having obtained and closely inspected numerous speci- 

 mens of the rock-salt, gravel, lumps of sandstone, and one very fine crys- 

 tal, over two inches cube and nearly transparent, all of which are now in 

 the Indiana State University, he felt assured that the whole phenomena 

 must be referred to aqueous action. 



In all probability, the semicircular deposit of sand and gravel, thrown 

 to the height of 160 feet and conforming generally to the contour of the 

 sea coast, resulted from the combined action of the winds and the waves 

 of the ocean. In a similar manner, sand-ridges of nearly the same height 

 have formed on the south shore of Lake Michigan, conforming to its coast 

 outline; the latest and most northerly being close to the water's edge, 

 and having formed since the settlement of the country by the white man. 



As the result of similar causes, he conceived that these sea-beach ridges 

 on the Gulf, after being thrown up some height, permitted the high wa- 

 ters to flow round and into the basin shaped depression left on the land- 

 ward side, but impeded the return of the waters thus arrested. The heat 

 of the sun would be sufficient to evaporate the water, leaving the saline 

 deposit ; and thus, through a succession of ages, a repetition of like causes 

 ami results might readily give rise to the deposit just described. We 

 have vegetable deposits which formed coal at various geological periods, 

 although chiefly in the true Carboniferous Era; and so we may also have 

 saline deposits, greatest, as in Europe, during the New Kedsandstone or 

 Saliferous Period, yet taking place also during the Quaternary Epoch. 



When, however, these ridges on the Gulf coast became high enough to 

 have their materials frequently washed down by rains, the interior basin 

 would readily fill up, and the detritus gradually cover any articles left by 

 the aborigines. The salt and exclusion from air are sufficient to account 

 for the preservation of the relics from decay for a long period. 



The great inundation which, a i'vw years since, destroyed so many 

 families, who had visited Lost Island as a watering-place, was of the char- 

 acter above alluded to, and took place only about fifteen miles from the 

 salt locality just described. 



Whether or not the explanation here offered of the interesting phe- 

 nomena exhibited at La Petite Ance is or is not correct, the facts are im- 

 portant; and the evidences remain there to be examined at any time by 



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