Letter from Henry Bry to Josiah Meigs, April 27, 1822
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The Smithsonian Institution Archives welcomes personal and educational use of its collections unless otherwise noted. For commercial uses, please contact photos@si.edu. Monroe Ouachita 27. April 1822
D Sir.
I returned yesterday from New Orleans after a passage of 4 days & 15 hours = Thus we travel 500 miles against a strong current, in one tenth of the time we employed in barges we are that much in proportion nearer to our great market - I have given to my friend M[[superscript]]r[[/superscript]]. [[Chen ?]] the Collector, a small box[[strikethrough]]es[[/strikethrough]] directed to you which he promised to forward with dispatch - It contains a Stone evidently reduced to its shape by men - I found it in my field - a piece appears to me broken off = It has a perfect resemblance with the [[underlined]][[Greek letters - ζίσκος?]][[/underlined]] of the anci[[strikethrough]]e[[/strikethrough]]ent greek, which was also made of Stone - you know that they called the brass ones [[underlined]][[Greek letters -Σολο?]][[/underlined]] - It is probable that the first inhabitants of this country had a game
of the same nature - I cannot see to what other use that stone can have been adapted.- It is true that the Indians have nothing approaching that game, but every thing about us shows that other numerous nations have inhabited this country, [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] [[insertion]] whose [[/insertion]] names are buried in oblivion.
The other piece included in the box is a piece of petrified wood, having the grain and appearance of oak - It is not a great curiosity but what renders it worthy of examination is its shape -- exactly such [[insertion]] as [[/insertion]] a chip made with an ax in cutting down a tree -- I found it in my garden. ---
I wish it was in my power to send you some thing more interesting, it only shews you my desire of complying with your wishes -
Could I go to the warm Springs on our river 450 miles from here by water, I might make a more valuable collection, but It is
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impossible to think of it at present ----
With esteem & friendship
Yours Sincerely
H. Bry
P.S. M.[[superscript]]r[[/superscript]] P. Desbigny told me he had forwarded my official bond in due form about four weeks ago - I hope you received it
[[paper in landscape format]]
From H. Bry to
J.Meigs, presenting a
Stone &c. found in
Louisiana.
[[double line]]
Presented and read
1.[[superscript]]st[[/superscript]] June, 1822.
[[double line]]
Monroe Louisiana
April 27„[[superscript]]th[[/superscript]] [[image - vertical coiled line]] Free
Hon[[underlined]][[superscript]]ble[[/superscript]][[/underlined]] Josiah Meigs
Com[[underlined]][[superscript]]er[[/superscript]][[/underlined]] Gen. Land office
[[underlined]] Washington [[/underlined]] C[[superscript]]a[[/superscript]]
[[line]]
Communicated 1 June 1822
and read.
[[line]]
[[paper rotated through 90 degrees, with text written over previous address]]
[[underlined]]Henry Bry ~
Par[[superscript]]r[[/superscript]]. Ouachita
May 30. 1822
[[/underlined]]