The pictographic system which the WALAM OLUM presents is clearly that of the Western Algonkins, most familiar to us through examples from the Chipeways and Shawnees. It is quite likely, indeed, that it was the work of a Shawnee, as we know that they supplied such songs, with symbols, to the Chipeways, and were intimately associated with the Delawares. At the time Rafinesque wrote, Tanner's _Narrative_ had been in print several years, and the numerous examples of Algonkin pictography it contains were before him. Yet it must be said that the pictographs of the WALAM OLUM have less resemblance to these than to those published by the Chipeway chief, George Copway, in 1850, and by Schoolcraft, in his "History and Statistics of the Indian Tribes." There is generally a distinct, obvious connection between the symbol and the sense of the text, sufficient to recall the latter to one who has made himself once thoroughly familiar with it. I have not undertaken a study of the symbols; but have confined myself to a careful reproduction of them, and the suggestion of their more obvious meanings, and their correspondences with the pictographs furnished by later writers. I shall leave it for others to determine to what extent they should be accepted as a pure specimen of Algonkin pictographic writing. _Derivation of Walam Olum._ The derivation of the name WALAM OLUM has been largely anticipated on previous pages. I have shown that _wâlâm_ (in modern Minsi, _wâlumin_) means "painted," especially "painted _red_." This is a secondary meaning, as the root wuli conveys the idea of something pleasant, in this connection, pleasant to the eye, fine, pretty. (See ante p. 104.) _Olum_ was the name of the scores, marks, or figures in use on the tally-sticks or record-boards. The native Delaware missionary, Mr. Albert Anthony says that the knowledge of these ancient signs has been lost, but that the word _olum_ is still preserved by the Delaware boys in their games when they keep the score by notches on a stick. These notches--not the sticks--are called to this day _olum_--an interesting example of the preservation of an archaic form in the language of children. The name _Wâlâm Olum_ is therefore a highly appropriate one for the record, and may be translated "RED SCORE." _The MS. of the_ WALAM OLUM. The MS. from which I have printed the WALAM OLUM is a small quarto of forty unnumbered leaves, in the handwriting of Rafinesque. It is in two parts with separate titles. The first reads:-- WALAMOLUM First Part of the painted-engraved ║ traditions of the Linni linapi,&c ║ containing ║ the 3 original traditional poems ║ 1 on the Creation and Ontogony, 24 verses ║ 2 on the Deluge, &c. 16 v ║ 3 on the passage to America, 20 v ║ Signs and Verses, 60 ║ with the original glyphs or signs ║ for each verse of the poems or songs ║ translated word for word ║ by C S Rafinesque ║ 1833 The title of the second part is:-- WALAM-OLUM