16 THE MISSOURIUM. 
supply of meal, to resort to the laborious process of pounding 
their com in mortars—the old farmer resolved on building a 
tub mill for the accommodation of himself and his neighbours. 
Tn order to procure the necessary water power, the aid of the 
before mentioned spring was brought into requisition; and in 
making the necessary excavation, the labourers found several 
bones of young mastodons, which excited their curiosity and 
astonishment, but they suspended their labour on ascertaining 
that the force of the said spring was not sufficient for their 
purpose. Soon after this the place was sold, and the excite- 
ment about the bones and the Indians was forgotten until the 
summer of 1839, at which time a young man, who was em- 
ployed to clean the said spring, found a tooth of a mastodon 
during his labour; which occurrence freminded several of the 
old settlers of the former transactions and traditions, and a 
narration of these induced a few persons residing in that 
vicinity, out of mere curiosity, to make further examination 
as to what was contained in the spring. They succeeded in 
finding several bones and teeth; but the mud and water ac- 
cumulated so fast; they soon became discouraged with the 
difficulties attending the search, and gave it over. Some of 
these facts came to my knowledge in March, 1840, on my 
return to St. Louis from an excursion to the south-western part 
of the country, when I immediately repaired to the spot, and 
found the facts as I have here stated, 
COMPARISON OF THE MISSOURIUM WITH THE LEVIATHAN, AS 
DESCRIBED IN THE 41ST CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF JOB. 
Thus far the leviathan has been considered the whale by 
many scientific men—by others, the crocodile of the Nile; 
but as there is no aquatic animal known that will bear a close 
comparison with the leviathan as described in the book of 
Job,—these just mentioned but slightly answering the descrip- 
tion in some points, and in others not at all; therefore none 
could be acknowledged, with any degree of Bis tes as the one 
alluded to. For mstance, the great and good man, and pro- 
found investigator, Dr. Adam Clark, in his coneluding obser- 
vations on this chapter, very excellently and truly remarks:— 
