NOTES AND QUERIES. 



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previously occupied the country became very angry, and at last so enraged and 

 infuriated, by reason of these intrusions, that the red man durst not venture 

 out to hunt any more, and was consequently reduced to great distress. At 

 this time a large number of these huge monsters assembled here, when a 

 terrible battle ensued, in which many on both sides were killed, and the 

 remainder resumed their march towards the setting sun. Near the bluffs, 

 which are at present known by the name of the Rocky Ridge, one of the 

 greatest of these battles was fought. Immediately after the battle, the Indiaus 

 gathered together many of the slaughtered animals, and offered them on the 

 spot as a burnt sacrifice to the Great Spirit ; the remainder were buried by the 

 Great Spirit himself in the before-mentioned Pomme de Terre, which from this 

 time took the name of the Big Boue river, as well as the Osage, of which the 

 Pomme de Terre is a branch. Prom this time the Indians brought their yearly 

 sacrilice to this place, and offered it up to the Great Spirit as a thank ottering 

 for their timely deliverance; and more latterly they have offered their sacrifice 

 on the table-rock previously mentioned, which was he'd in great veneration, 

 and considered holy ground. This ceremony was kept up with the utmost 

 rigidity until one of the white emigrants settled in the valley at the foot of 

 the rock, with the intention of making himself and family a permanent resi- 

 dence on this fertile spot : but he did not long enjoy this beautiful situation, 

 for on the return of the Indians to offer their wonted sacrifice, they beheld 

 with indignation and astonishment the intrusion of this venturesome settler on 

 their sacred ground. Soon the council lire was kindled, when the Indians gave 

 their accustomed murmur of dissatisfaction, and immediately the white man 

 was obliged to leave, without the least preliminary ceremony. Some time 

 after this, on becoming better acquainted with his red neighbours, and having 

 through much perseverance gained their good opinion, after much reluctance 

 on their part, and explanations and assurances mat he would not infringe on 

 their sacred privileges, and would only raise com and potatos for his family, 

 he was once more permitted to settle on this sacred spot, of which he retained 

 peaceable possession until the return of some old chiefs, who had been for a 

 long time absent. They in turn were exasperated to madness on seeing the 

 violation of the sacred ground of their forefathers by the encroachment of the 

 white man, and again the poor farmer was obliged to leave. Prom that time 

 this spot remained in the hands of the Indians, and no entreaty or allurement 

 could be held out to induce them to resign it, until they were removed by the 

 government ; it then for the third time fell into the hands of the original 

 settler, who joyfully took possession of the place he had so long desired to 

 make his home. After a while other settlers arrived, and as the want of a mill 

 for grinding their different kinds of grain began to be felt, each family having 

 hitherto been obliged, in order to obtain a supply of meal, to resort to the 

 laborious process of pounding their corn in mortars, the old farmer resolved on 

 building a tub-mill for the accommodation of himself and his neighbours. In 

 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 excitement about the bones and the 

 Indians was forgotten until the summer of 1839, at which time a young man, 

 who was employed to clean the said spring, found the tooth of a mastodon 

 during his labour, which occurrence reminded several of the old settlers of the 

 former transactions and traditions, and a narration of these induced a few per- 

 sons residing in that vicinity, out of mere curiosity, to make further examina- 

 tion as to what was contained in the spring. They succeeded in finding several 



