As the train crosses the Mermentau River, an island out there among the reeds is as shrouded in mystery as it is shrouded from your view. Imagine yourself in the shoes of John Sweeny in 1867 as he explored the swampy island. Legend has it that he had become separated from a party of men and was alone, disoriented in the fog, when he came across hard, brittle objects underfoot. A closer look revealed numerous human skeletons and lengths of heavy chain.