AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



171 



fire lit upon the shore — the usual signals, and imports a 

 welcome and a good landing, &c. Those of our party we 

 had sent for the copper rock were there; and hearing the 

 voyageurs in the Governor's canoe, built the fire, and fired 

 the guns. Tliey came over — and late as it was, we learn- 

 ed more, in detail, the history of their attempt, and failure, 

 to bring away the copper rock. How much I regret this 

 failure! Thermometer, sun-down, 68°. 



Thursday, Jlug. 17. T. sun-rise, 58°. — I was anxious 

 to know how the morning would appear. The pictured rocks 

 were now, at the commencement, not over sis miles from 

 us: and having procured a sketch of the vase, I was more 

 than ever anxious to get also the outlines of those mightier 

 formations. The morning was cloudy! The west looked 

 black, and a wind from that quarter would have effectually 

 destroyed all my hopes of getting the sketches of the rocks. 

 We determined, however, to embark, and wait the result 

 of this tempest^ — gathering in the west, on the south side 

 of Grand island. Meanwhile, I examined the encamping 

 ground. Near our tent I found the frame of a large lodge, 

 and just back of it, the kind of frame on which the Indians 

 dry their fish. It is built over a square hole in the ground, 

 of about six feet by three, where the fire is built. Near 

 the lodge was a pole of about thirty feet high. At its 

 top hung some badges of the superstition of these people. 

 It was an offering for. their sick! From those offerings, we 

 inferred a child had been the subject of their anxieties. 

 Near the top of the pole is a small cap, suspended b}- a small 

 string — to which is attached, also, a strip of fur. Below 

 these is a little child's covering, not more than ten inches 

 by twelve, with no sleeves, with a feather from the wing 

 of a hawk suspended from near the shoulder-straps. Be- 

 low, there is a piece of red and white ribband, and ten feet 

 below all, hangs a small hoop, tied round with wattap, 

 which confines to it a parcel of white feathers. 



Now, all this is said to liave been devised by their Jossa- 

 keed, or conjurer — or their MaakudayiuecJeoovyga, or 

 priest; and such offerings are general!}' the result of some 

 dream, or of some more systematized plan of imposing 

 upon the credulity of these unenlightened and helpless 

 people. 



At six o'clock in the morning, we were opposite the first 

 formation of the line of the rocky and pictured scenery. I 

 have had some views taken that I think will be interest- 

 ing. The first is an urn and a monument, with a stream of 

 water running into the lake from between them. This 

 stream is nearly equi-distant, between the two, but some- 

 thing nearer the monument. The urn is about sixty feet 

 in circumference, and of the most exact proportions as to 

 height and figure. Its pedestal, or base, rests upon yellow 

 sand-stone, and not more than ten feet from the water's 



edge, and nearly on a line with it. The pitch of the stream 

 is about twenty feet, and in width, it is about six feet. The 

 monument stands about thirty feet back of a line draivn 

 from the urn and along the margin of the lake. It is par- 

 tially hid with trees. It rises out of a grove, and looks 

 like a sacred place, and just such as we would fancy a mo- 

 nument would appear in. The urn and monument are dis- 

 tant from each other about one hundred yards. 



It will not do for me to indulge in any reflections on this 

 singular sepulchral arrangement; or to question nature as 

 to these designs. Here is the urn, the naiad, and the mo- 

 nument; and art might profit by a view of their construc- 

 tion and arrangement. The views taken of them are in 

 all respects correct. 



I noticed in a general way the appearance of the Pic- 

 tured rocks, on coming up. I shall now only refer to 

 those parts of them which I have had sketched. 



The next point which struck my observation with most 

 force, was what I have called Castle rock. After Mr. 

 Lewis had sketched this wonderful mass of singular and 

 tortification-like arrangement, which is about three hun- 

 dred feet high, and one hundred and fifty wide, which he 

 did from some hundred yards in the lake, we approached 

 it. We had got within about fifty feet of its base, when, 

 on looking up, we found ourselves under the drip from its 

 edges above — proceeding further in. I saw my men look- 

 ing up, and apparently shrinking from its projecting sides. 

 They inquired where I wished to go ? I told them, into 

 that largest opening. " Alon DieuP' they exclaimed, and 

 Mr. L. begged that we might go back. I wished to look 

 into this opening, and did so. I confess I felt something 

 horror struck, for in addition to the projecting walls, which 

 are of sand-stone, and crumble at the touch, the sounds that 

 came out of these apertures were most unearthly! One of 

 the men got out of the canoe, and sat in a recess just in 

 front of the opening. 



This opening is about forty feet wide, and ten deep. On 

 the right, a circular passage way winds into the body of 

 the rock, with a roof of thirty feet, supported on pillars, 

 averaging about twelve inches in circumference, but the 

 length of the canoe prevented my winding my way into 

 this inner world. After surveying this recess for half an 

 hour, numerous fish swimming; beneath us. and becoming 

 familiarized to the danger, we came out and continued 

 down tlie coast of similar formations, but all varying, for 

 about five miles, when we came to that which I call 

 Cave rock. This we approached also, and found the tops 

 to overhang in all the threatening postures of the first. 

 Near this, and connected with it, and on the right, is a 

 pile of ruins, which are the remains of one of these im- 

 mense formations, that having been undermined by the ac- 



