number
of cycles is equivalent to twelve hundred and forty-eight years, which
would carry us back to about the year 231, A.D., which date we must bear
in mind; not that we think there is any scientific value to it, but for
its bearing on other matter at the close of the chapter.<81>

We come now to consider the subject of their picture writings. The germ
of writing is found in the rude attempts to assist the memory to recall
past events. Some of the northern Indian tribes resorted for this
purpose to belts of wampum. When a new sachem was to be invested with
office among the Iroquois, the historical wampum belts were produced;
an old man taking them in hand, and walking back and forth, proceeded
to "read" from them the principles of the confederacy. In this case,
particular events were connected with particular strings of wampum.<82>
Pictorial representation would be the next stage. At first the aim
of the artist would be to make his drawings as perfect as possible.
A desire to save labor would soon lead them to use only the lines
necessary to show what was meant. This seems to be about the stage of
picture writing, reached by some Indian tribes, who have left here and
there specimens carved on rocks.

Illustration of Indian Picture Writing.------------

This cut is a specimen of such writing from the canyon of the San Juan
in Arizona. Although quite impossible to read it, there is no doubt but
what it expressed a meaning at the time it was engraved.

Illustration of Chapultepec.--------------

From this stage of development would naturally arise symbolical
paintings. Thus "footsteps" might signify the idea of going. A
comma-shaped figure, issuing from a person's mouth, would stand for
speech. The next step is what we might call rebus-writing, where not
the thing itself was meant but the sound. Thus this cut represents
Chapultepec--meaning grasshopper-hill, or locust mount. It is evident,
here, the pictures of the objects represent the name. They, probably,
did not use this principle farther than to represent the proper names of
persons and things before the coming of the Spaniards.

Illustration of Amen.--------------------

Some think that, in addition to the above, the Mexicans used, to a very
limited extent, a true phonetic writing--one in which the figures refer
not to the thought, but to the sound of the thought.<83> Others are not
ready to concede that point. They could not have been further al