Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-23

their best to reproduce them. Many of
their original photographs show keen
sense OF humor. The Esqumaux are a
very lively people. and keenly appreciate
anything ludicrous. They can even ENJOY
practlcal jokes at their own expense with
out a thought of resentment. A design
frequently seen in their picture-writings
is an arrangement of concentric rings,
which is said to be a conventionalized
eye: The odd point about it is that this
design is found all over the world and
seems to be very ancient. 1t is discovered
IN the Congo region, on old Roman lamps.
IN numerous European rock-sculptures,
and in many rock carvings in America
particularly on the basalt rocks in the
arid desert south of Benton, Cal.
Capt. Perry, the arctic explorer, speaks
OF charts made by Esquimaux. Desiring
Information as to the trend of the coast
line. he placed several sheets of paper
before a native woman, and roughly
drew on large scale an outline OF the
land about Repulse bay and Lyon inlet.
The woman quickly comprehended what
was desired, and with a pencil continued
the outline. The scale being large, it was
necessary when she came to the end of
one piece of paper to tack on another,
until ait length she had filled ten or twelve
sheets. DR.. Hoffman mentions an inter-
esting Greenland map of native manufac-
ture. consisting of three blocks of wood
along the edge of which were cut inden-
tations and curves, so as to portray the
contour of the shore line. Channels,
capes, islands and other features were
sufficiently well reproduced to permit
identification when compared with large
map.
Man seems to have always been a writ
er. He left picture inscriptions behind
him on the walls of the caves of southern
France. In country where there are
plenty of rocks, the cliffs are commonly
used for such purposes. perpetuating rec
ords of exploits or events. BY a simple
design in a conspicuous place of the kind
the hunter directs his friends along the
right trail or to convenient camping
place. This system is actually perpetua-
ted today among tramps, who by picture
writings on fences and rocks give notice
to others of their order that food is to be
found here or danger to be avoided there.
In the great plains rock pictures are
| rarely seen. That part of the country
was formerly occupied by Indians vino
hunted the buffalo, and they found the
| skin of that animal and the hide of the
| deer more convenient to write upon.
| Along the shores of the great lakes, where
the white birch is plentiful. the Indians
| employ bark for mnemonic and other
| records. Other aborigines use bone. wool,
and various arrangements of shell beads
| and feathers.
| In the Esquimau photographs the figures
| of human beings are often posed in un-
natural attitudes. These are gesture
signs, in themselves constituting Ian
guage. A figure without a head means
uea,H- Olu ,1Se 10 iiiuiea.cu Wy d Peisoii
walking with a staff. This method of
portraying age is common all over the
| world: the same sort of figure appears
| frequently in the heroglyphs of ancient
| Egypt. Among the most interesting of
| the Esquimau picture writings are those
| obtained from a tribe which inhablts a
rugged strip of indented coast in North
west Greenland, which extends 800 miles
| from Cape York to point not far from
| the southern edge of the Humboldt glac-
| Ter. These are the most northern of all
| the Esquimaux. impossible ice walls pre-
| vent them from migrating for any dis
tance, anu, owing to it's enforced isola-
| ton. the tribe is the most typical of the
| EsQumau groups. Just emerging from
| the stone age, its members dress in skins.
eat raw flesh and pursue their game with
| the same sort of rude weapons that their
forefathers used in prehistoric times.
Lieut.. Perry places the census of the
tribe at only 250 individuals.