Picture-Writing of the American Indians: Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1888-89, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1893, pages 3-822Mallery, Garrick
History
Picture-Writing of the American Indians: Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1888-89, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1893, pages 3-822
Mallery, Garrick
Picture-writing, Indian
Several years ago Mr. H. R. Taylor, of Machias, who made the original
sketch in 1868 and kindly furnished it to the Bureau of Ethnology,
applied to a resident Indian there (Peter Benoit, then nearly 80 years
old) for assistance in deciphering the characters. He gave little
information, but pointed out that the figures must not all be read “from
one side only,” thus, the one near the center of the sketch, which seen
from the south was without significance, became from the opposite
point a squaw with sea fowl on her head, denoting, as he said, “that
squaw had smashed canoe, saved beaver-skin, walked one-half moon all
alone toward east, just same as heron wading alongshore.” Also that
the three lines below the figure mentioned, which together resemble a
bird track or a trident, represent the three rivers, the East, West,
and Middle rivers of Machias, which join not far above the locality.
The mark having a rough resemblance to a feather, next on the right of
this river-sign, is a fissure in the rock. Most of the figures of human
beings and other animals are easily recognizable.
Peckings of a character similar to those on the Picture rock at Clarks
point, above described, were found and copied 600 feet south of it at
high-water mark on a rock near Birch point. Others were discovered and
traced on a rock on Hog island, in Holmes bay, a part of Machias bay.
All these petroglyphs were without doubt of Abnaki origin, either of
the Penobscot or the Passamaquoddy divisions of that body of Indians.
The rocks lay on the common line of water communication between those
divisions and were convenient as halting places.
MARYLAND.
In the Susquehanna river, about half a mile south of the state line,
is a group of rocks, several of the most conspicuous being designated
as the “Bald Friars.” Near by are several mound-shaped bowlders of the
so-called “nigger-head” rock, which is reported as a dark-greenish
chlorite schist. Upon the several bowlders are deep sculpturings,
apparently finished by rubbing the depression with stone, or wood and
sand, thus leaving sharp and distinct edges to the outlines. Some of
these figures are an inch in depth, though the greater number are
becoming more and more eroded by the frequent freshets, and by the
running ice during the breaking up in early spring of the frozen river.
The following account is given by Prof. P. Frazer (_a_):
Passing the Pennsylvania state line one reaches the southern
barren serpentine rocks, which are in general tolerably level for a
considerable distance.
About 700 yards, or 640 meters, south of the line, on the river
shore, are rocks which have been named the Bald Friars. French’s
tavern is here, at the mouth of a small stream which empties into
the Susquehanna. About 874 yards (800 meters) south of this tavern
are a number of islands which have local names, but which are
curious as containing inscriptions of the aborigines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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