Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI JCOXACHT ATE of the most interesting, and seemingly best verified stories of earij trmrel, comes from testimony of a French MrhoUr and writer of the past century?M. ie Page du Pratz?who was then trying to solve the question of the origin of the race that peopled America. At that time Louisiana and the region west was claimed bv France, and the French occupied the Lower Mississippi region. In his travel there this philosopher, who was inquiring as to all traditions, found an ancient Yazoo Indian, known as The Interpreter, as he spoke many languages. Among his own people he was called Monacht Ape, that signifies, He who kills trouble and fatigue. If there is anything in a name this man should have been a philosopher, and so the French savant found him. Monacht Ape was a remarkable man, and for his time and opportunity showed uncommon qualities. He studied nature from his own observation, having no education nor teaching, save that of the native Yazoo nation. He determined to see in person and know the world. Having heard of the Atlantic Ocean, he made his way eastward, probably .to the Carolina shore, to see for himself. His own story of it. is as graphic as words can be put together: When I first saw it I was so delighted that I could not speak; my eyes were too small for my soul's ease. The wind so disturbedthe great water that I thought it would beat the land to pieces. While he stood there the tide was coming in and its movements both worried and puzzled him. He was camped on the sands, and as the tide came up he thought the waves would swallow all. He found food for thought and inquired why the days grew longer as one went north, and shortened as one went south, but no one he met could tell him. Finally, this French philosopher explained those mat...