It is supposed that the art was invented before the Deluge: it was certainly practised long before the time of Moses. There were, doubtless, many steps taken in slow succession before the invention of alphabetic writing. Perhaps the earliest method might have been that which is still employed among the untutored tribes of North American Indians, who record events by picture-painting of the rudest description. Picture-painting was afterwards gradually converted into the hieroglyphical system, which is still the only kind of writing among the Chinese. It is not known who invented the alphabetic system of writing. _Deluge_, a flood: the term used in particular to denote that mighty flood of water with which God swept away the first nations of the earth for their wickedness. _Alphabetic_, from alphabet, the series of written signs of language called letters. The word is formed from _alpha_, _beta_, the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. _Untutored_, ignorant, unlearned. Were not the Egyptians quite early acquainted with this art? Yes, they were acquainted with two or three kinds of writing, as well as the one in which symbolical characters were employed, which was not used for common purposes. On the contrary, such symbols had something of a sacred character about them, being unknown to the common people, and only to be deciphered by the priests. Obelisks and pyramids were the great national records; and on these the hieroglyphics were constantly used, because unintelligible to the people, until expounded by those who had the exclusive office of explaining them. _Symbolical_, having the nature of signs or symbols--that is, representations of different things. _Deciphered_, read, understood, made out. _Unintelligible_, that cannot be understood. _Expounded_, explained, interpreted. Were Hieroglyphics employed before or after Alphabetic Writing? They were undoubtedly employed at first from necessity, not from choice or refinement; and would never have been thought of, if alphabetical characters had been known. This style of writing must be reckoned as a rude improvement upon picture-writing, which had previously been used. Hieroglyphics were employed by the Egyptian priests in after times, as a kind of sacred writing, peculiar to themselves, and serving to give an air of mystery to their learning and religion, though fallen into disuse for other purposes. What materials were employed by ancient nations in Writing?