, ▁As ▁we ▁have ▁faith fully ▁Cop ied ▁It ." ▁▁ ▁Later ▁French ▁expl or ers , ▁like ▁St . ▁Cos me , ▁reported ▁that ▁by ▁ 1 6 9 9 ▁the ▁series ▁of ▁images ▁were ▁badly ▁worn ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁hab its ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Indians ▁to ▁" d isch ar ge ▁their ▁weapons " ▁at ▁the ▁images ▁as ▁they ▁passed . ▁ ▁Author ▁A . ▁D . ▁Jones , ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁" Ill inois ▁and ▁the ▁West " ▁c . ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁also ▁describes ▁the ▁rav ages ▁of ▁weapons ▁( fire ar ms ) ▁upon ▁the ▁images , ▁and ▁further ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁paint ings ▁as ▁being ▁named ▁" P ias ua ". ▁ ▁This ▁original ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁Native ▁American ▁painting ▁ever ▁found ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁John ▁Russell ▁account ▁The ▁mon ster ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁m ural ▁was ▁first ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" P ias a ▁Bird " ▁in ▁an ▁article ▁published ▁c . ▁ 1 8 3 6 ▁by ▁John ▁Russell ▁of ▁Bl uff dale , ▁Illinois . ▁John ▁Russell ▁was ▁an ▁imag in ative ▁professor ▁of ▁Greek ▁and ▁Latin ▁at ▁Sh urt le ff ▁College , ▁Upper ▁Al ton , ▁Illinois . ▁The ▁article ▁was ▁entitled ▁" The ▁Trad ition ▁of ▁The ▁P ias a " ▁and ▁Russell ▁claimed ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁to ▁be ▁from ▁a ▁nearby ▁stream : ▁" This ▁stream ▁is ▁the ▁P ias a . ▁Its ▁name ▁is ▁Indian , ▁and ▁sign ifies ,