(el PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
thunderbolt of Greece, the Buddhist fig tree, and other noted characters 
common in several parts of the world. Ifthe petroglyphs of America 
are considered as the texts with which all others may be compared, if is 
believed that the present work shows illustrations nearly identical with 
many much-discussed carvings and paintings on the rocks of the east- 
ern hemisphere, those in Siberia being most strongly suggestive of 
connection. But from the present collection it would seem that the 
similarity of styles in various regions is more worthy of study than is 
the mere resemblance or even identity of characters, the significance 
of which is unknown and may have differed in the intent of the several 
authors. Indeed it is clear that even in limited areas of North Amer- 
ica, diverse significance is attached to the same figure and differing 
figures are made to express the same concept. 
The present work shows a surprising resemblance between the typi- 
eal forms among the petroglpyhs found in Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, 
Guiana, part of Mexico, and those in the Pacific slope of North Amer- 
ica. This similarity includes the forms in Guatemala and Alaska, 
which, on account of the material used, are of less assured antiquity. 
Indeed it would be safe to include Japan and New Zealand in this gen- 
eral class. In this connection an important letter from Mr. James G. 
Swan, respecting the carved wooden images of the Haidas, accentuates 
the deduction derived only from comparison. Mr. Swan says that he 
showed to the Indians of various coast tribes the plates of Dr. Habel’s 
work on sculptures in Guatemala, and that they all recognized several 
of the pictures which he notes. They also recognized and understood 
the pictures of the Zuni ceremonials, masks, and masquerades scenes 
published by Mr. F. H. Cushing. 
Without entering upon the discussion whether America was peopled 
from east to west, or from either, or from any other part of the earth, 
it is for the present enough to suggest that the petroglyphs and other 
pictographs in the three Americas indicate that their pre-Columbian 
inhabitants had at one time frequent communication with each other, 
perhaps not then being separated by the present distances of habitat. 
Styles of drawing and painting could thus readily be diffused, and, in- 
deed, to mention briefly the extralimital influence, if as many Japa- 
nese and Chinese vessels were driven upon the west American coast in 
prehistoric times as are known by historic statistics to have been so 
driven, the involuntary immigrants skilled in drawing and painting 
might readily have impressed their styles upon the Americans near 
their landing place to be thence indefinitely diffused. This hypothesis 
would not involve migration. 
Interest has been felt in petroglyphs, because it has been supposed 
that if interpreted they would furnish records of vanished peoples or 
races, and connected with that supposition was one naturally affili- 
ated that the old rock sculptures were made by peoples so far advanced 
in culture as to use alphabets or at least syllabaries, thus supporting 
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