78 PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
Marquette’s remarks are translated by Dr, Francis Parkman (a) as 
follows: 
On the flat. face of a high rock were painted, in red, black, and green, a pair of 
monsters, each ‘‘as large as a calf, with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like 
a tiger, and a frightful expression of countenance. The face is something like that 
of aman, the body covered with scales; and the tail so long that it passes entirely 
round the body, over the head, and between the legs, ending like that of a fish.” 
Another version, by Davidson and Struvé (a), of the discovery of 
the petroglyph is as follows: 
Again they (Joliet and Marquette) were floating on the broad bosom cf the un- 
known stream. Passing the mouth of the Illinois, they soon fell into the shadow of 
a tall promontory, and with great astonishment beheld the representation of two 
monsters painted on its lofty limestone front. According to Marquette, each of these 
frightful figures had the face of a man, the horns of a deer, the beard of a tiger, and 
the tail of a fish so long that it passed around the body, over the head, and between 
the legs. It was an object of Indian worship and greatly impressed the mind of the 
pious missionary with the necessity of substituting for this monstrous idolatry the 
worship of the true God. 
A footnote connected with the foregoing quotation gives the following 
description of the same rock : 
Near the mouth of the Piasa creek, on the bluff, there is a smooth rock in a eay- 
ernous cleft, under an overhanging cliff, on whose face, 50 feet from the base, are. 
painted some ancient pictures or hieroglyphics, of great interest to the curious. 
Fic. 40,—The Piasa petroglyph. 
They are placed in a horizontal line from east to west, representing men, plants, and 
animals. The paintings, though protected from dampness and storms, are in great 
part destroyed, marred by portions of the rock becoming detached and falling down. 
Mr. McAdams (a), of Alton, Hlinois, says “The name Piasa is Indian 
and signifies, in the Illini, ‘The bird which devours men.” He fur- 
nishes a spirited pen-and-ink sketch, 12 by 15 inches in size and pur- 
porting to represent the ancient painting described by Marquette. On 
the picture is inscribed the following in ink: “Made by Wm. Dennis, 
April 3d, 1825.” The date is in both letters and figures. On the top 
of the picture in large letters are the two words, “FLYING DRAGON.” 
This picture, which has been kept in the old Gilham family of Madison. 
county and bears the evidence of its age, is reproduced as Fig. 40. 
He also publishes another representation (Fig. 41) with the follow- 
ing remarks: 
One of the most satisfactory pictures of the Piasa we have ever seen is in an old 
German publication entitled ‘‘The Valley of the Mississippi Illustrated. Eighty 
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