The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-02-16

saved from destruction. It is abou
six feet long and four feet wide, being
only a part of the entire group o
sculptured figures. Near the .centel
is a'rude snake, before which are two
human hands rudely carved, and neal
3 the head a human foot n inches il
length. On the lost portions wers
two human figures, man and a wo
man, and sculptured feet of wolves
There are on the slab in the church
several carved impressions in pair.
that follow each other in regular order
something like tracks, and which DIR
, Salisbury conceives to be intended fol
the human foot wearing a moccasin.-
In front of each impression are dots
also in pairs. The supposed moccasin
tracks are of different sizes, from 81
j to 81 inches. long, always in pairs and
always accompanied by the dots about
an inch in diamdter. On the upper
part of the slab is figure something
like fish spear with three prongs,
each of which is split at the end, max
ing six points There are, besides,
some less prominent workings, partly
! obliterated, among them the bird track
character, which is common in. other
rock inscriptions.
In Belmont county, four miles west
of Barnesyille, are two large blocks of
sandstone, on each of which are nu-
merous sculptured figures, in many
respects resembling those at Independ-
ence. The central figure is a rude
snake with the naked human foot of
various sizes, not in pairs, and the
moccasin tracks. ~s -...o b.. IL
These are not so deep or as well de-
fined as those at Independence, but
the bird track character is much more
abundant. A peculiarity of the feet
is q large projecting joint in the big
animal not clearly representing those
of our day. Drawings of these stones
were made in 1859 by james w.
Ward, then of Cincinnati, I'd but now
Secretary of the Natural History So
ciety Of New York. These also re-
quire to be photographed to render
them complete in all respects. II aL
Those in Licking county were copied
size of nature by DR.. and Mrs. Sails
bury in the form of tracing on coarse
muslin. There is here a natural wall
of conglomerate rock, 60 or 80 feet
long and 10 or 12 feet high, partly
protected from the weather. Por-
tions of it are soft and yield to the
disintegrating effects of the seasons by
which large part Of the inscriptions
have been obliterated. The tracing
embraces about thirteen feet by seven.
Near the place is a quarry and the
workmen-amuse themselves by destoy-
ing these. characters. In few years
they will disappear. The early in
habitants of half a century since
have also inscribed the initials of their
among them, and the dates of
their visit. But when DIR. Salisbury
took his copy in 1860, there were
twenty-three different characters visi-
BILE within the space above given
The bird track is most common
There are two human hands, several
spears, crosses and combinations of |
the cross, barbs, groups of parallel
lines and other odd characters.
The famous. Turkey Foot Rock"
at the foot of the Miami rapids, near
Maumee City, once had number of |
most of which are now
gone. Among these the bird track
characters are most conspicuous
These were at first regarded as at
tempts to represent the foot of the
wild turkey, but they are not anato-
mieally correct, and are now regard
ed as part of a series of characters or
hieroglyphics- to which meaning was
by those who made them
Such Inscriptions are known at other
points in the west, but as yet have
been little observed. On a flat lime
rock in St. Louis the early settlers
noticed pair of human feet sculptur-
ed on the surface. They are a little
arger than the average, being l04
inches in length, and have the pecu-
iarity in the toe joint which is con-
;picuous on the Belmont county ston.
This slab was preserved by the late
Dr. D. d. Owen, in his collection at
New Harmony, Indiana, and is prob
lbly there now. - eaI
What gives greater interest to these
Western Inscriptions, is the resem-
,lance which DIR. S. has discovered to
he bird track Chinese alphabet in
Ise many centuries since in China.
There also the surpent was a promi- I.
Ient figure in the system of written
r hieroglyphic expression. The Chi
lese are moreover reported to have
writings which refer to an emigration
0 the Pacific coast of America in
cry early times. - Plain Dealer.