The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-28
INDIAN PICTURE WRITING.
TronsIations of Inscriptions Carved
by Red Men.
From the Washington Times.

erment scientists whose work lies along
the lines of anthropology and ethnol-
ogy. 1t is, with many, a matter of
deplorable concern that Col. Scott, who
is, according to Prof. w. ]. MCGEE Of
the Bureau of Ethnology, the greatest
living expert on the subject of the In
dian sign language, is at present serv-
ing with his regiment in Cuba and is
not enabled to conduct the special re-
searches to which he would otherwise
be assigned by the bureau of which he
is member. 1t is further to be la
mented that Col Scott, notwithstand-
ing his vast store of unique information
concerning the sign language, has thus
far written nothing upon that subject,
although it is believed he Is contem-
plating an exhaustive treatise. Be
fore Col. Scott went to Cuba he Of
fered a prize to any one who could
pose" him on any sign in the Indian
vocabulary, and il is said that the re-
ward has yet to be claimed, although
many efforts were made to puzzle the
colonel by Indians and others.
The study of the sign language of
the red man is a fascinating one. Per-
haps the simplest form of their pic
ture writing is that on the grave-head
memorials of their chiefs. These are
boards. or posts, set up and inscribed
with certain symbols. The depicting of
figures upside down denotes death and
return to earth, and figures thus in
scribed are often seen in Indian epi-
taphS. In other cases the idea of death
is indicated by cross with two spaces
filled in, making a figure somewhat
of the hourglass shape. on a post set
up about a hundred years ago unique
inscription is to be read. A reindeer
at the top is the totem mark of the de-
ceased and his family, and is depicted
upside down for the reasons explained
To the left of this figure are seven
transverse marks, meaning that the
dead chief had led seven war parties
Three vertical marks below mean three
wounds received in battle. A moose's
head tells of a desperate struggle with
an Infatuated animal of that sort. and
a Ratchet and pipe indicate great in
fiuence in peace and war. Another
post, simply inscribed with the figure
of a bear with three horizontal lines
below ii, shows that the departed
hunter was of the Bear clan or family,
and that he had attended three war
parties.
An interesting example of Indian pic
ture writing was found some time ago
in the Comanche country in Texas. The
inscription, which dates back to the
times when Spain was still engaged In
American conquest, is upon the shout
competition between the white and red
races for the hunting of the buffalo. A
mounted Indian rs depicted killing with
spear a Spaniard armed with a gun,
the tragedy being enacted in the pres
ence of the disputed buffalo itself. who,
in piebald or semi-skinned condition,
is contemplating the contest from a
lower part of the picture. An elegant
scroll line by the side of the evidently
doomed Spaniard expresses the cir
cuitous route by which the Indian fol-
lowed his enemy. The length of body
and shortness of legs of the horse
would seem to denote that IL belonged
to a dachshund variety of equines,
while to the uninitiated observer the
buffalo somewhat resembles a cock
roach.
Several examples of what appear to
| be the artistic efforts of a very juve-
nile scholar in the absence of his teach
| er's observation have been interpreted
| by an expert. One picture contains two
| figures remotely in the likeness Of hui
manity One holds, or is supposed to
hold-for the members of that body ca
pable of that operation are represented
| by two straight lines-something not
| accurately defined. The purpose of the
| remaining actor in the scene represent
| ed is rather clearer. He is depicted in
| the act of letting off, an antique fire.
lock aimed direct at the other. By the
side of the individual with the fire.
lock are bundle and tree. The
whole is a trespass notice, and very
strong hint to the passerby of what he
may expect from the property owner
should he attempt to fitch any of the
latter's goods.
Concerning another curious produc-
ton an interesting story is told. School
craft, the histriographer of the Indians,
| accompanied by party and guided by
two Indians. made a journey in 1920
The party lost its way in a forest. and
after camping for the night were about
| to start again when 1t was perceived
that the Indian guides had made a
sketch on a piece of birch bark and had
| fixed IL at the top of pole, which they
had stuck in the ground with an in
clination toward the direction the ex-
plorerS were taking. 1t was a message
for anybody who might pass that way,
| telling the encampment and the nature
of the party.
The composition may be divided, for
the purpose of description, into two
chief rows of figures and objects, while
at the lower corner are depicted bird
and a turtle The figures all re semble
those juvenile efforts to represent the
human form before the artistic aspir-
ant has attained a knowledge of anat-
omy or perspective. A figure at the
end of the second row represents the
subaltern officer in charge of the guard
| of United States troops.
This military parsonage Is distin-
guished by a curly line intended
to represent his sword Next to him
is the secretary of the expedition, as
shown by the thing in his hand. which
is said to be a book. Next is the ge-
ologist. and the weapon with which he
appears to be attacking the secretary's
head is his geological hammer.
Two assistants and the interpreter
are also graphically depicted. Just
above is a row oe infantry soldiers,
their guns being represented In a sep
arate row. By the side of each of the
principal rows is something intended to
represent fire. to show that the soldiers
had a separate fire and mess.
The bird and turtle denote the results
of the preceding days chase, cooked
(as indicated by another fire. and eat
en-. The guides. who are Indians and
represented in the second row, have
their race designated by the absence
of hats, which are to be seen on all
other figures, denoting that they are
white men. 1t is to be noted that the
Indian artist has drawn the figures of
himself and his companions at least
twice as large as any of the pale
faces"
Two pictures of great interest are the
records of the first crossing of Lake
Superior by a very famous chief of