516 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



on each line are alternately reversed; those on the first stand upright, 

 and those on the next line are upside down, and so on by regular alter- 

 nation. 



This unique plan makes it necessary for the reader to turn the tablet 

 and change its position at the end of every line; by this means the 

 characters will be found to follow in regular procession. The reading 

 should commence at the lower left-hand corner, on the particular side 

 that will bring the figures erect, and followed as the characters face in 

 the procession, turuiug the tablet at the end of each line, as indicated. 

 Arriving at the top of the first face, the reading is continued over the 

 edge to the nearest line, at the top of the other side, and the descent 

 continues in the same manner until the end is reached. The Boustro- 

 phedou method is supposed to have been adopted in order to avoid the 

 possibility of missing a liue of hieroglyphics. 



Ure Vaeiko's fluent interpretation of the tablet was not interrupted, 

 though it became evident that he was not actually reading the charac- 

 ters. It was noticed that the shifting of position did not accord with 

 the number of symbols on the lines, and afterwards when the photo- 

 graph of another tablet was substituted, the same story was continued 

 without the change being discovered. The old fellow was quite dis- 

 composed when charged with fraud at the close of an all-night session, 

 and at first maintained that the characters were all understood, but he 

 could not give the signification of hieroglyphics copied indiscriminately 

 from tablets already marked. He explained at great length that the 

 actual value and significance of the symbols had been forgotten, but the 

 tablets were recognized by unmistakable features and the interpreta- 

 tion of them was beyond question; just as a person might recognize a 

 book in a foreign language and be perfectly sure of the contents with- 

 out being able to actually read it. 



Beyond doubt certain legends are ascribed to particular tablets, all 

 of which are named, and a reference to those names will recall the ap- 

 propriate story from those who do not profess to understand the hiero- 

 glyphics. An old man called Kaitae, who claims relationship to the 

 last king, Maurata, afterwards recognized several of the tablets from 

 the photographs and related the same story exactly as that given pre- 

 viously by Ure Vaeiko. 



The writing is composed of pictorial symbols carrying their significa- 

 tion in the image they represent. The execution would be a creditable 

 production with the assistance of the best etching tools, and is a truly 

 wonderful result of patience and industry to be accomplished by means 

 of obsidian points. The minute size of the hieroglyphics made it im- 

 possible to convey anything more than the general appearance of the 

 objects delineated, but the figures may be recognized by their form in 

 the outline drawing after the mauner of some of the Egyptian hiero- 

 glyphics. The study of the tablets is chiefly difficult on account of the 

 way in which actual objects are conventionally treated, and in order to 



