188 Mr. Kendal’s aceount of the Dighton: rock. 
draughts, we must prepare ourselves for some: curious consequencesé 
We should be able to show, upon their testimony, that in a variety of 
mstances the inscription, so far from having decayed, has advanced 
with the progress of years, both in the number and distinctness of its 
figures. We should be able to show, that figures, which at the bes 
ginning of the last century appeared as they now appear, decayed in 
the course of fifty years into others totally dissimilar, and have since 
grown again into their original features. ; . 
Dr. Mather, who took or received his copy in 1712, divides the ine 
scription into lines ; but that it is wholly insusceptible of such a divi- | 
sion, the rock itself and all the other draughts declare. In the Doe- 
tor’s second line we are not able to discover a single figure resembling 
those on the rock, or the smallest trace of the style of the inscription. 
Now it were easy to say, that his second line, on whatever part of the 
rock he saw it, has since decayed; ‘but the truth is, that in his first 
line he has enabled us, by some faint resemblanices in the first halfot 
it, to discover where’ he is; and that in the second half he has introdue- 
ed what is wholly dissimilar, though that part of the rock is at this day 
filled with figures the most distinct. If therefore the Doctor has not 
given us a faithful copy of that, which is known still to remain, w ry 
should we believe that there were in his time those other figures, which 
he draws, but which we can no where else discover ? We might bé 
led'to fancy, ‘that the inscription, when Dr./Mather saw it, was more 
obscure, than‘it is at present; but in reality it was only not more dis- 
tinct ; and Dr. Mather, like his successors, toiled in the maze of con- 
jecture, és 
This maze of conjecture brings me to the last point, which I shall _ 
offer to your considération ; that of adopting the only effectual method, 
by which this remain of American antiquity can be’ faitly brought 
within the ken of the curious, ‘and its preservation suitably assure 
