Hieroglyphics.
There was no written language in all
North America when Europeans came, excepting in the form of pictography, which has a near relationship to the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians.
It was used in aid of historic and other traditions, and in illustration of their mythology, which was rich in symbolism, and formed a part of their religious system.
They personified their ideas by delineations of natural objects.
An excellent illustration is given in the act of To-mo-chi-chi, an aged Creek chief.
when he first visited
Oglethorpe, on the site of
Savannah.
He presented a buffalo's skin, ornamented with a picture of an eagle, saying: “The eagle is an emblem of speed, and the buffalo of strength.
The
English are as swift as the bird, for they fly over vast seas, and, like the buffalo, are so strong nothing can withstand them.
The feathers of the bird are soft, and signify love; the buffalo's skin is warm, and signifies protection.
Therefore, love and protect our little families.”
Similar in purpose are the carvings on the totem poles, especially in
Alaska, by which the natives have preserved their family and tribal records and traditions.
In the town of
Berkley, Bristol co., Mass., is a stone known as
Dighton Rock, which bears an inscription attributed to
[
386]
the Norsemen, but which has defied the skill of the archaeologist to decipher.
The
Pictured Rocks on the shore of
Lake Superior, not far from
Sault Ste. Marie, contrary to popular belief, are not the work of human hands, but the effects of water wearing away the sandstone rocks.
They resemble old castles, temples, arches, and other objects when viewed from a short distance.
