The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-05-12
THE MODERN CADMUS.

States. and among them was See-quah-yah
; ne inventor of the Cherokee alphabet. Hi
English name was George Guess. Prompt
ed py my own curiosity, and urged by sew
efai literary friends, applied to See-quah
yah, through the medium of two interpret
ers, one half-blood, Capt. Rogers, and the
other fuil-blood chief, whose assumed
English name was John Nav, to relate tc
me, as mlnutely as possible, the mental CD.
eratons and all the facts in his discovery
He cheerfully complied with my request
and gavesvely deliberate and satisfactory
answers to every question. The substance
! OF tho examination wos tlIis-tlIar lie (ece-
tasah-yah) was now ~~Lant 7iNty ~p.rs
old, but could not precisely say that in ear.
ly life he was gay and laxative and al.
though he never attempted to speak in
Council but once, yet was often, from the
strength of his memory, his easy coloquial
powers, and ready command of his vernacu-
lar, story-teller of the convivial party. His
reputatonfo for talents of every kind gave him
some distinction when he was quite young,
so long ago as st. Clair's defeat In this
campaign, or some one that soon followed
1t, letter was found on the person of a
prisoner, which was wrongly read by him to
| the Indians. In some Of their deliberations
on this subject, the question arose among
them, whether this mysterious power of TIE
talking leaf was the gift of the Great Split
to the white man, or discovery of the white
man himself. Most of his companions were
of the former opinion, while he as strenu-
ously maintained the latter. This frequent
! ly became subject of contemplation with
him afterwards, as well as many other things
! VI oh ha b,l Al.
men could do; but he never set down scri-
ously to reflect on the subject, until swell
ing on his knee confined him TO his cabin,
and which at length made him cripple for
I life, by shortening the diseased leg. De-
prived of the excitements of war, and the
pleasure of the chase, in the long nights of
his confinement, his mind was again direct
ed to the mystery of the power of speaking
by tetters-the very name Of which of course,
was not to be found in his language. From
the cries of wild beasts, from the talents of
the mocking bird, from the voice of his chill
dren and his companions, he knew that feel
ings and passions were conveyed by differ
ent sounds, from one intelligent being to an
other. The thought struck him to try to as
certain all the sounds in the Cherokee Ian
guage. His own ear was not remarkably
discriminating, and he called to his aid the
more acute ears of his wife and children.
He found great assistance from them
| When he thought that he had distinguished
all the different sounds in their language.
he attempted to use pictorial signs, images
OF birds and beasts, to convey these sounds
| to others, or to mark them in his own mind
He soon dropped this method as difficult OF
impossible, and tried arbitrary signs, with.
out any regard 20 appearances, except such
as might assist him in recollecting them, and
! distinguishing them from each other. A
INST, these signs were very numerous; ant
when he got so far as to think has inve2 tior
was nearly accomplished, he had about two
hundred characters in his alphabet. By
the aid OF his daughter, who seemed to en-.
ter into the genius Of his labors, he reduced
them, at last, to eighty-six, the number he
now uses. He then set to work to make
these characters more comely to the eve
and succeeded. AS yet he had not the
knowledge of the pen as an instrument, bu
made his characters on piece Of bark witt
a knife or nail. At this time he sent to the
Indian agent, or some trader IN the nation
for paper and pen. His ink was easily
made from some of the bark of the fores
trees, whose coloring properties he haC
previously known and after seeing the con
struction of the pen, he soon learnt to make
one but at first he made it without slit
this inconvenience was, however, quickl,
| removed by his sagacity. His next Difficult
ty was to make his invention known to hi
countrymen; for by this time he had be
come so distracted from his tribe and thei
usual pursuits, that he was viewed with al
eye of suspicion. His former companion
passed his wigwam without entering it, an,
mentioned his name as one who was prac
Using improper spells, for notoriety or mis-
chievous purposes; and he seems to thin
that he should have been hardly dealt with
i his docie and unambitous disposition ha,
not been so generally acknowledged by hi
tribe. At length he summoned some of tn
most distinguished of his nation, in order t
make his communication to them-and af
ter giving the best explanation of his dis
covery that he could, stripping it of all su
pernatural influence, he proceeded to de
monstrate to them, in good earnest, that h,
had made discovery. His daughter, VIII
was now his only pupil, was ordered TO g
out OF hearing, while he requested his friend
to name word or sentiment, which he pu
down, and then she was called in and reat
il to them; then the father retired, and tn,
. daughter wrote the Indians were wonde
struck, but not entirely satisfied. See-quah
yah then proposed that the tribe should Sc
lect several youths from among their bright
est young men, that he might communicat,
the mystery to them. This was at length
! agreed to, although there was some Turk
ing suspicion of necromancy in the whole
business. John Nav, This Indian name
have forgotten) full-blood, with severa
others, were selected for this purpose. TIL,
tribes watched the youths for several month
with anxiety and when they offered them
selves for examination, the feelings of al
were wrought up to the highest pitch. TIL,
youths were separated from their master
and from each other, and watched will
great care. The unnitiated directed wha
al. II