The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-10-13
He found great assistance

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 10
others, or to mark them in his own mind He
soon dropped this method, as difficult or inn
possible, and tried arbitrary signs, without any
regard to appearances, except such as might
assist him in recollecting them. and distin-
gushing them from each other. At first, these
signs were very numerous and when he got
so far as to think his invention nearly accom-
plished, he had about two hundred characters
in his Alphabet. BY the aid of his daughter,
who seemed TO enter 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 eye, and succeeded. As yet he had not
the knowledge of the pen as an instrument,
but made his characters on piece Of bark,
with 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 forest trees,
whose coioring properties he had previously
known; and after seeing the construction Of
the pen, he soon learned to make one ; but at
first he made it without slit this inconve-
nience was, however, quickly removed by his
sagacity. His next difficulty was to make his
invention known to his countrymen for by
this time he had become so distracted from
his tribe and their usual pursuits, that he was
viewed with an eye Of suspicion. His former
companions passed his wigwam without enter
ing it, and mentioned his name as one who
was practising improper spells, for notoriety
or mischievous purposes and he seems to
think that he should have been hardly dealt
with, if his docile and unambitious disposition
had not been SO generally acknowledged by
his tribe. AT length he summoned some Of
the most distinguished of his nation, in order
to make his communication to them-and
after giving them the best explanation of his
discovery that he could, stripping it of all SUI
pernatural influence, he proceeded to demon
strate to them, in good earnest, that he had
made discovery. His daughter, who was
now his only pupil, was ordered to go out of
hearing, while he requested his friends to
name word or sentiment, which he put
down, and then she was called in and read il
to Them then the father retired, and the
daughter wrote the Indians were wonder
struck, but not entirely satisfied. See-quah-
yah then proposed that the tribe should select
several youths from among their brightest
young men, that he might communicate the
mystery to them. This was at length agreed
to, although there were some lurking suspi-
cions of necromancy in the whole business.
John Nav, This Indian name have forgot
ten,) full. blood, with several others, were
selected for this purpose. The tribe watched
the youths for several months with anxiety;
and when they offered themselves for exami-
nation. the feelings Of all were wrought up to
the highest pitch. The youths were separated
from their master, and from each other, and
watched with great care. The uninitiated di-
rected what the master and pupil should write
to each other, and these tests were varied in
such a manner, as not only to destroy their
infdelity, but most firmly to fix their faith
The Indians, on this, ordered great feast,
and made See-quah-yah conspicuous at it
How nearly is man alike in every age! Pytha-
goras did the same on the discovery of an i'm
portant principle in geometry. See-quah-yah
became at once schoolmaster, professor, phi
losopher and chief. His countrymen were
proud Of his talents, and held him in reverence
as one favored by the Great Spirit. The in
ventons of early times were shrouded in mys
terry. See-quah-yah disdained all quackery.
He did not stop here, but carried his dscove-
ries to numbers. He Of course knew nothing
of the Arabic digits, nor of the power of Ro-
man letters IN the science.
The Cherokees had mental numerals to one
hundred, and had words for all numbers up to
that but they had no signs or characters to as
sist them in enumerating, adding, subtracting,
multiplying, or dividing. He reflected upon
this until he had created their elementary prin-
ciple in his mind but he was at first obliged |
to make words to express his meaning, and
then signs to explain it. BY this process he
soon had clear conception of numbers up to
million. His great difficulty was at the thresh.
old, to fix the powers of his signs according
to their places. When this was overcome,
his next step was in adding to his different
numbers in order to put down the fraction of
the decimal, and give the whole number to his
next place. But when knew him, he had over
come all these difficulties, and was quite
ready arithmecian in the fundamental rules.
This was the result of my interview; and can
safely say, that have seldom met man Of
more shrewdness than See-q uah-yah. He ad-
hered to all the customs Of his country and
when his associate chiefs on the mission as
sumed our costume, he was dressed in all re-
spects like an Indian. See-quah-yah is a man
of diversified talents; he passes from meta
physical and philosophical investigation to
mechanical occupations, with the greatest
ease, The only practical mechanics he was
acquainted with, were few bungling black
smiths, who could make a rough tomahawk,
or tinker the lock of rifle !; yet he become
white and silversmth, without any instruction,
and made spurs and silver, spoons with neat
ness and skill, to the great admiration Of peo-
pie of the Cherokee nation. See-quah-yah
has also a great taste for painting He mixes
his colors with skill taking all the art and
science OF his tribe upon the subject, he added