180 Mr. Kendal’s account of the Dighton rock. 
tered_over this country. The list having»shown, that nearly all of 
them are described as being in or near rivers, I have admitted ‘the pos. 
sibility, that a preference was uniformly given to rocks seated within 
reach of the tide, and this has led me to an examination of the siteof 
the writing-rock. From this digtessien I return. 
The writing-rock is to be ascribed either to those inhabitants of 
America, whom Europeans have denominated Indians, to inhabitants 
more ancient than these, or to navigators more ancient than Colum. 
bus. 
The easiest solution is that, which supposes a visit from the navi- 
gators of antiquity, who, after entering Narraganset Bay, found leis- 
ure to explore Taunton river, and chose an anchorage at. Asonet neck. 
In this case the skill of the artist is no mystery, and we easily dismiss, 
with the breaking up of the ice, or the first fair wind, the authors of 
so extraordinary a monument. But exclusively of the objections al- 
ready adduced, if similar rocks exist on the Housatonic, the Gonnecti- 
cut, the Ohio, the Alleghany, the Cumberland, and the Alatamaha, 
we shall be compelled to seek another theory. mi 
We look next to a nation more ancient and more cultivated, than 
the Indians, inhabitants of this country. ‘The writing-rock is hot the 
only vestige, from time to time discovered, of sucha people. But this 
silent stone, 2nd other monuments equally silent, are all, fever they — 
existed, they have left nothing behind to give a tongue to their werks, — 
so that they might say to posterity, “ these were theirs !” Our last re 
source is in the Indians. Se ee 
Confining myself to criticisms on the artist, I leave it, as I find it, 
undetermined to what nation he belonged. Of that nation however, if 
what I have to remark shall have any weight, I am about to raise 
the character in suggesting, that this artist was not the most ac 
complished workman of his tribe. I could even believe, that he was 
