56 Duralde's communication 



face of the ground. At Mr. Lewis Fontenot's, other hones 

 were found at the depth of 25 to 27 feet. Also at Mr. James 

 Dupres's at the depth of 1 8 feet; but in both these cases, they 

 were so much decayed, as to render it impossible to distinguish, 

 to what animal they belonged or even what bones they were. 

 At Mr. James Lafleur's, at the depth of 30 to 35 feet, was 

 found a piece of an Indian bowl, made of burnt shells, and ba- 

 ked after the Indian manner. M. Duralde in sinking a well 

 in his cow-yard found sound oyster shells, lying in an horizon- 

 tal direction, near to each other, at the depth of 22 feet. It 

 was also said that M. Fuselier of the Alacapas found the 

 horn of a Goat at the depth of 19 feet. Those of the above 

 discoveries which M. Duralde was not witness to, were attes- 

 ted to his satisfaction— and he supposes many others escaped 

 the notice of the workmen and proprietors. 



About the year 1760 or a little after, some person was led 

 by chance to the margin of a small bay called Carancro and 

 observed there a large heap of bones; they were sound .and 

 of an enormous size. He was struck with the discovery and 

 made mention of it; and as the news of it spread, the pub- 

 lic curiosity was very much excited. Their length, their size, 

 and above all one or two teeth, which were amongst them, 

 led the spectators to judge that this had been the entire skele- 

 ton of an Elephant. This soon became the generally received 

 opinion. They perfectly distinguished, the ribs, the verte- 

 bra\ the scapuke, the tibia?, the thigh bone (which was 

 larger than a man's thigh,) and lastly the hip bone, which had 

 a very distinct cavity for the reception of the head of the 

 thigh bone — M. Nerat the proprietor of the spot where 

 they were found, a man of strict viracity and residing near it, 

 declared that there were bones enough to load two, or at least 

 one very large cart; that he had taken, and during ten years had 

 made use of, the hollow of the hip bones, to press his indigo 

 in, that as well as he can remember there was one of the haunch 

 bones wanting, which forms apart of the eminence of the 

 ba.son, and that notwithstanding, it was so heavy, that it requir- 

 ed a very strong man to handle it. 



Six years ago during the time of a great drought, Alexander 

 Fontenot perceived, and took up from the bottom of a brook, 



