29 THE MISSOURIUM 
extinct previous to the creation of the race of men; which 
supposition was founded on the fact that no evidence of human 
existence could be traced back to, or found with, those ante- 
diluvian animals. The positive cause of this I do not know. 
My opinion, however, is that this want of evidence of a former 
human race is, that those relics of the ancient animal world 
generally, have been found accidentally by persons who were 
not aware of the importance of a minute and critical exami- 
nation of the deposites disinterred by them, and therefore the 
scientific observer was deprived, no doubt, often of the facts 
necessary to be known in order to form correct opinions on this 
subject. In view of this I deem it my duty to lay before the 
world what facts I have been able to gather on this interesting 
subject, which will be strong evidence in favor of my belief, 
that there was a human race existing contemporary with those 
animals. 
These facts are as follows: In October 1838, I disinterred 
the remains of an animal which had clawed feet and was of the 
size of an elephant. This deposite was in Gasconade county, 
Missouri, on the shores of the Burbois river. The principal 
part of this animal had been consumed by a fire, which fire 
evidently had not been produced by a volcanic eruption, but 
had been formed and kindled mechanically by human hands, 
as it appeared, for the purpose of destroying the before-men- 
tioned animal, which had been mired here and was unable te 
extricate itself. The particulars of the transaction are as 
follows : . 
A farmer in Gasconade county, Missouri, perceived for 
some time a disagreeable taste in the water which he had used 
for his household. This water was taken out of a clear spring, 
situated im what is usually called a bottom, near his house. 
For the purpose of remedying this evil, he dug around and 
into the spring, thus to be enabled to enclose it afterwards as 
a well. By doing so, he found several bones belonging to an 
animal of an unusually large size. Some were whole, and 
some in fragments. Also, at the same time, he found a stone 
knife and an Indian axe. This cireumstance created some 
excitement in the neighbourhood ; and these transactions were 
