IV 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
distinguished citizens, of both sexes, who enjoyed the op- 
portunity of seeing the objects which they heard explained. 
But it was not sufficient that he had written these lec- 
tures; they must be delivered by himself; a task, the diffi- 
who had assisted the farmer in this discovery, envious of his good fortune, 
sued him for a share in the profit ; but they gained nothing more than a divi- 
dend of the costs ; it appearing that they had been satisfied with the gratifi- 
cation of their curiosity, and the quality and quantity of the rum ; no one 
could prove that he had given them reason to hope for a share in the price of 
any thing his land might happen to produce. 
Not willing to lose the advantage of an uncommonly dry season, when the 
springs in the morass were low, we proceeded on the arduous enterprise. 
In New York every article was provided which might be necessary in sur- 
mounting expected difficulties ; such as a pump, ropes, pullies, augers, &c.; 
boards and plank were provided in the neighbourhood, and timber was in suf- 
ficient plenty on the spot 
Confident that nothing could be done without having a perfect command 
of the water, the first idea was to drain it by a ditch; but the necessary dis- 
tance of perhaps half a mile, presented a length of labour that appeared 
immense. It was therefore resolved to throw the water into a natural basin, 
about sixty feet distant, the upper edge of which was about ten feet above 
the level of the water. An ingenious millwright constructed the machinery, 
and, after a week of close labour, completed a large scaffolding and a wheel 
twenty feet diameter, wide enough for three or four men to walk a-breast in : 
a rope round this turned a small spindle, which worked a chain of buckets 
regulated by a floating cylinder ; the water thus raised, was emptied into a 
trough, which conveyed it to the basin ; a ship’s pump assisted, and, to- 
wards the latter part of the operation, a pair of half barrels, in removing the 
mud. This machine worked so powerfully, that in the second day the water 
was lowered so much as to enable them to dig ; and in a few hours they were 
rewarded with several small bones. 
The road which passed through this farm was a highway, and the atten- 
tion of every traveller was arrested by the coaches, wagons, chaises, and 
horses, which animated the road, or were collected at the entrance of the 
field : rich and poor, men, women, and children, all flocked to see the opera- 
tion ; and a swamp always noted as the solitary abode of snakes and frogs, 
became the active scene of curiosity and bustle : most of the spectators were 
astonished at the purpose which could prompt such vigorous and expensive 
exertions, in a manner so unprecedented, and so foreign to the pursuits for 
which they were noted. But the amusement was not wholly on their side; 
and the variety of company not only amused us, but tended to encourage the 
workmen, each of whom, before so many spectators, was ambitious of signal- 
izing himself by the number of his discoveries. 
For several weeks no exertions were spared, and the most unremitting were 
required to insure success ; bank afte rbank fell in ; the increase of water was 
a constant impediment, the extreme coldness of which benumbed the work- 
men. Each day required some new expedient, and the carpenter was al- 
ways making additions to the machinery ; every day bones and pieces of 
bones were found between six and seven feet deep, but none of the most im- 
portant ones. But the greatest obstacle to the search was occasioned by the 
shell marie which formed the lower stratum ; this rendered thin by the springs 
at the bottom, was, by the weight of the whole morass, always pressed up- 
wards on the workmen to a certain height, which, without an incalculable 
expense, it was impossible to prevent. Twenty -five hands at high wages 
were almost constantly employed at work which was so uncomfortable and 
severe, that nothing but their anxiety to see the head, and particularly the 
under jaw, could have kept up their resolution. The patience of employer 
and workmen was at length exhausted, and the work relinquished without 
obtaining those interesting parts, the want of which rendered it impossible 
to form a complete skeleton. 
It would not have been a very difficult matter to put these bones together, 
culty of which was increased by the recent loss of some of 
his front teeth. His ingenuity was soon at work to supply 
this deficiency, and with remarkable perseverance he suc- 
ceeded, first in ivory, and finally in making complete sets 
and they would have presented the general appearance of the skeleton; but 
the under jaw was broken to pieces in the first attempt to get out the bones, 
and nothing but the teeth and a few fragments of it were now found ; the 
tail was mostly wanting, and some toe-bones. It was, therefore, a desirable 
object to obtain some knowledge of these deficient parts, but if possible to 
find some other skeleton in such order as to see the position, and correctly to 
ascertain the number of the bones. In the course of eighteen years there 
had been found within twelve miles of this spot, a bone or two in several dif- 
ferent places ; concerning these we have made particular inquiries,, but 
found that most of the morasses had been since drained, and consequently 
either the bones had been exposed to a certain decay ; or else so deep, that a 
fortune might have been spent in the fruitless pursuit. But through the po- 
lite attention of Dr. Galatan, we were induced to examine a small morass, 
eleven miles distant from the former, belonging to Capt. J. Barber, where, 
eight years before, four ribs had been found in digging a pit. From the 
description which was given of their position, and the appearance of the mo- 
rass, we began our operations with all the vigour a certainty of success could 
inspire. Nearly a week was consumed in making a ditch, by which all the 
water was carried off, except what a hand-pump could occasionally empty : 
the digging, therefore, was less difficult than that at Masten’s, though still te- 
dious and unpleasant ; particularly as the sun, unclouded as it had been for 
seven weeks, poured its scorching rays on the morass, so circumscribed by 
trees, that the western breeze afforded no refreshment ; yet nothing could ex- 
ceed the ardour of the men, particularly of one, a gigantic and athletic ne- 
gro, who exulted in choosing the most laborious tasks, although he seemed 
melting with heat. Almost an entire set of ribs were found, lying nearly to- 
gether, and very entire ; but as none of the back bones were found near them 
(a sufficient proof of their having been scattered) our latitude for search was 
extended to very uncertain limits ; therefore, after working abont two weeks, 
and finding nothing belonging to the head but two rotten tusks, (part of one 
of them is with the skeleton here) three or four small grinders, a few verte- 
brae of the back and tail, a broken scapula, some toe-bones, and the ribs, 
found between four and seven feet deep — a reluctant terminating pause en- 
sued. 
These bones were kept distinct from those found at Masten’s, as it would 
not be proper to incorporate into one skeleton any other than the bones be- 
longing to it ; and nothing more was intended than collate the corresponding 
parts. These bones were chiefly valuable as specimens of the individual 
parts ; but no bones were found among them which were deficient in the for- 
mer collection, and therefore our chief object was defeated. To have failed 
in so small a morass was rather discouraging to the idea of making another 
attempt ; and .yet the smallness of the morass was, perhaps, the cause of our 
failure, as it was extremely probable the bones we could not find were long 
since decayed, from being situated on the rising slope at no considerable 
depth, unprotected by the shell-marle, which lay only in the lower part of the 
basin forming the morass. When every exertion was given over, we could 
not but look at the surrounding unexplored parts with some concern, uncer- 
tain how near we might have been to the discovery of all that we wanted, 
and regretting the probability that, in consequence of the drain we had made, 
a few years would wholly destroy the venerable objects of our research. 
Almost in despair at our failure in the last place, where so much was ex- 
pected, it was with very little spirit we mounted our horses, on another in- 
quiry. Crossing the Wall-kill at the falls, we ascended over a double swelling 
hill into a rudely cultivated country, about twenty miles west from the Hud- 
son, where, in a thinly settled neighbourhood, lived the honest farmer Peter 
Millspaw, who, three years before, had discovered several bones : from his 
log-hut he accompanied us to the morass. It was impossible to resist the 
