﻿ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES. 
  195 
  

  

  Thomas 
  Croft. 
  Echini 
  shells, 
  from 
  Mrs. 
  William 
  Shelley. 
  Speci- 
  

   men 
  of 
  Piano 
  wire 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  used 
  in 
  deep 
  sea 
  soundings, 
  from 
  

   Commander 
  George 
  E. 
  Belknap, 
  U. 
  S. 
  N. 
  Specimen 
  of 
  fossil 
  Fish 
  

   from 
  Sidney 
  Station, 
  U. 
  P. 
  R. 
  R., 
  presented 
  by 
  Oliver 
  Eldridge. 
  

   Piece 
  of 
  Beeswax 
  from 
  the 
  wreck 
  of 
  a 
  Japanese 
  junk 
  on 
  the 
  Cali- 
  

   fornia 
  coast, 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Columbia 
  River, 
  by 
  James 
  S. 
  Lawson. 
  

   Specimen 
  of 
  Coal 
  found 
  at 
  Cook's 
  Inlet, 
  Alaska 
  Territory, 
  presented 
  

   by 
  Captain 
  Fisher, 
  of 
  whaling 
  bark 
  Alaska. 
  Head 
  of 
  a 
  Fish 
  

   found 
  on 
  beach 
  at 
  Neeah, 
  W. 
  T., 
  from 
  William 
  J. 
  Fisher. 
  Boots 
  

   of 
  dressed 
  sealskin, 
  Eskimo, 
  of 
  Cape 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  ; 
  Moose 
  skin 
  

   Shirt, 
  Indians 
  of 
  Upper 
  Yukon 
  ; 
  Bar 
  of 
  native 
  Copper 
  from 
  Indians 
  

   of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Tananah 
  R., 
  Yukon 
  district 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  presented 
  by 
  

   Major 
  J. 
  H. 
  Simpson, 
  through 
  D. 
  J. 
  Staples. 
  

  

  Professor 
  Davidson 
  exhibited 
  the 
  Photographs 
  of 
  Hieroglyphics 
  

   sent 
  to 
  the 
  Academy 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Thomas 
  Croft, 
  of 
  Papeete, 
  Tahiti. 
  

   They 
  were 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  letter 
  stating 
  that 
  these 
  photographs 
  

   were 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  two 
  sides 
  of 
  a 
  thin 
  block 
  of 
  wood, 
  sent 
  from 
  

   Easter 
  Island, 
  latitude 
  27° 
  08' 
  S., 
  longitude 
  109° 
  17' 
  W., 
  to 
  the 
  

   Roman 
  Catholic 
  Mission 
  at 
  Tahiti. 
  Some 
  years 
  ago 
  the 
  priest 
  at 
  

   Easter 
  Island 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  Bishop 
  at 
  Papeete, 
  as 
  a 
  curiosity, 
  some 
  

   cord 
  made 
  of 
  human 
  hair, 
  wound 
  around 
  a 
  flat 
  piece 
  of 
  wood 
  about 
  

   three 
  inches 
  wide 
  and 
  eight 
  inches 
  long, 
  but 
  jagged 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  as 
  if 
  

   it 
  had 
  been 
  broken. 
  This 
  bore 
  marks 
  of 
  age, 
  decay, 
  and 
  hard 
  

   usage. 
  After 
  removing 
  the 
  hair 
  cord, 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  completely 
  

   covered 
  with 
  beautifully 
  cut 
  hieroglyphics, 
  which, 
  from 
  their 
  regu- 
  

   larity 
  in 
  lines, 
  were 
  evidently 
  intended 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  a 
  written 
  

   language. 
  Subsequently 
  five 
  other 
  blocks 
  were 
  obtained, 
  but 
  with 
  

   different 
  legends 
  thereon, 
  and 
  bearing 
  evidence 
  of 
  different 
  ages. 
  

   The 
  Bishop, 
  Monseigneur 
  F. 
  T. 
  Janssen, 
  has 
  ascertained 
  that 
  these 
  

   characters 
  have, 
  until 
  lately, 
  been 
  taught 
  to 
  a 
  foAv 
  favored 
  persons, 
  

   and 
  the 
  knowledge 
  of 
  them 
  transmitted 
  through 
  the 
  heathen 
  priests 
  

   and 
  rulers 
  to 
  their 
  successors. 
  The 
  last 
  King 
  of 
  Easter 
  Island 
  

   who 
  was 
  familiar 
  with 
  their 
  meaning 
  was 
  Maurata, 
  seized 
  with 
  

   others, 
  in 
  1863, 
  by 
  the 
  Peruvian 
  brig 
  Mercedes, 
  and 
  carried 
  to 
  

   Callao, 
  and 
  sold 
  into 
  slavery. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  trace 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  reading 
  of 
  these 
  

   hieroglyphics 
  is 
  effected. 
  Commence 
  at 
  the 
  left 
  and 
  read 
  along 
  

  

  