We herewith present a wood cut of the Giant. We have waited for an engraving from a photograph, in order to insure in every part of the pamphlet the utmost accuracy. The taking the photographs having been delayed, we present a sketch until their completion. The owners of the Giant furnish this publication alone with photographic copies—which will appear promptly on completion.
[Wood cut here of giant and spectators]
A MITE IN THE SCALE.
To the Editor of the Syracuse Journal:— Clark's "History of Onondaga," Vol. 1, page 43, near the bottom, says:—"The Quis-quis, or great hog, was another monster which gave the Onondagas great trouble, as did also the great bear, the horned water-serpent, the stone giants, and many other equally fabulous inventions, bordering so closely upon the truly marvelous, that the truth would suffer wrongfully if related in full; but nevertheless are found among the wild and unseemly traditions of the race." H.
LETTER FROM PROF. WARD.
The following letter from Prof. Henry A. Ward appears in the Rochester Democrat, and will be found to be well worthy of perusal. Prof. Ward takes high rank among the scientific men of the country, and an opinion from him is certainly entitled to respectful consideration:—
EDITOR DEMOCRAT—I have just returned from a hasty visit to the colossal statue, or "Fossil Giant," as many have called it, which is now causing so great an excitement in our sister city, Syracuse, and in all the country for many score of miles around.
This great archeological wonder is located in the Onondaga Valley, on the west side, about three-quarters of a mile from the village of Cardiff. The valley itself is one of erosion, dating its birth to the time when the gradual rise of our continent from beneath the ocean's waves had subjected all this portion of our State to the fierce furrowing and deep denuding action of violent currents of water, aided in their work by floating masses of ice and by rock debris carried by and often frozen into these masses. For about twelve miles south from Syracuse the valley is quite narrow, but here the hills recede on either side and sweep widely around in two high crescent-like ranges to meet again (or nearly so) at a point three or four miles higher up the stream. Within the sort of amphitheater thus formed, and at the foot of the western hill, is the farm of Mr. Newell. His house and outbuildings lie at the edge of the slope, and touching a low meadow which extends for a hundred yards or more to the bushy margin of a creek beyond. A smaller stream or a branch of this same appears at one time to have run close to the hill, leaving faint traces of its contour on the meadow, and one small elliptical swale or soft, boggy spot, a few yards across, near the lower corner of Mr. Newell's barn. It was while digging a shallow pit in this swale that the relic was found. It is a gigantic human figure lying on its back, with its head to the east and feet to the west. The head is in the position commonly given to a corpse; the right arm extends downwards, with the hand and fingers spread stiffly across the abdomen; the left arm bends down along the left side, with the hand quite under the middle line of the body; the left hip is raised a trifle, the thigh and leg more so, so as to bring the lower part of the left leg and foot obliquely across and over the same parts on the right. The posture is in all one that a dying body left to itself might naturally assume. The entire length of the figure is ten feet two and a half inches, and the other parts of the body are proportionately colossal.
Its head is of a very elongated type, but well shaped, and with a countenance full of solemn, dignified composure. The features are purely Caucasian, having neither the high cheek bones of the Indian, nor any other facial outlines which mark the type of other Aztec aborigines.
To describe the appearance of this great figure as being strange and impressive is saying too little.