The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-28
Qucerly Mark ed EtOnes.
WHAT MAY BE INDIAN HIEIOGLYPHICs P0UNT
on ROCKS IN MrSKOKA.

WHAT MAY BE INDIAN HIEHOGLYPliICS POUND
on ROCKS IN NUsKoKA.
Toronto (Canadal Globe October 1sth.I
About two months ago Mr.. Arens. an in
telligent farmer who lives in the Muskoka
district, about four miles back OF Leth-
bridge, discovered on his farm some stones
with extraordinary characters engraved or
cut on them. The stones had been dis
placed from an eminence where they had
been piled. evidently with some care, by
the uproOting and falling Of tree near
them. Mr.. Arens perceiving that the
stones were OF some archaeological value,
! communicated with Mr.. IIrschfeder, OF
this city, asking him to examine them. Mr..
IIirschfeder visited the place last week.
and returning on Monday evening brought
with him several specimens OF the rock
bearing the characters. As he has made a
study OF reading hieroglyphics and has
spent many years collecting archaeological
specimens. these recent discoveries have
much interest for him, and indeed for all
who are aware OF the probable importance
Of them.
The rocks are OF hard sandstone, and evil
IDENTIFY contain some iron ore. The charac-
tiers or hieroglyphics on them are to all ap-
pearanccs artificial. They are on the flat
surface OF tho rock. which has evidently
| been prepared previously to their being cut
| there. The stone is OF 4 dark color, and a.
! the characters are white, they appear very
distinctly, every line being quite visible.
The filling in the characters appear to be OF
limestone, and is somewhat softer than the
rock itself. 1t does not penetrate into the
stone further than the cutting OF the cha
racters. The characters, II natural, GER
tainly are not similar to veins found in such
rocks. The principal characters are about
two inches in diameter. They represent
stars and scars in the rock. One fact which
argues strongly IN favor OF their being ar
tIficial Is that there is a large quantity Of
similar rock in the district entirely free
from such characters.
Mr.. Hirschfelder said last night 90 am
not certain yet whether the characters are
natural or artificial. not having examined
| them sufficiently to arrive ut conclusion.
| but ii | can prove that they are hierogly-
phics the discovery is the most important
| OF its kind ever made In America. My
opinion Is that these five figures are 10 re-
present the Five Nation Iroquois Indians,
! but j will not he certain Of this until can
prove that their geographical position Is
! correct. On the next piece OF stone you
see there are seven characters which, !
think, indicate seven other tribes. Then
on this other piece all the tribes on the two
first pieces appear to be confused and
mixed up, which probably represents gem
erai melee between the two groups on the
two stones. can plainly see what take
to be tOmahawks dying about among the
figures. The stones indicate great age,
and, il the hieroglyphics are artificial, they
must have been great many years ago. II
i can prove that the geographical position
Of the Five Nation Iroquis agrees with the
positions Of the characters on one OF these
stones | shall believe that the hieroglyphics
were placed there to represent these In
dians, and that the other characters are to
represent battle, whick took place some
where in the vicinity where the rocks were
found, between them and some other
tribes" Mr.. Hirschfelder stated that he
would not venture to give any definite
opinion about the rocks until he had time
ID make a thorough examination OF them
and refer to works on hierogIyphics.