776 PICTURE-WRITING OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS. 
ters in outline with colored crayons, red chalk, or dry colors mixed with 
water and applied with a brush, after which a piece of muslin is placed 
over the surface and pressed so as to receive sufficient coloring matter 
to indicate general form and relative position. After these impres- 
sions are touched up, the true position may be obtained by painting 
the lines upon the back of the sheet of muslin, or by making a true 
tracing of the negative. 
An old mode of securing the outline was to clear out the channels of 
the intaglios, then, after painting them heavily, to press a sheet of 
muslin into the freshly painted depressions. The obvious objection 
to this method is the damage to the inscription. Before such treat- 
ment, if the only one practicable, all particulars of the work to be 
covered by paint should be carefully recorded. 
The locality should be reported with detail of State (or territory), 
county, township, and distance and direction from the nearest post- 
office, railway station, or country road. In addition the name of any 
contiguous stream, hill, bluff, or other remarkable natural feature 
should be given. The name of the owner of the land is of temporary 
value, as it is liable to frequent changes. The site or station should 
be particularly described with reference to its natural characteristics 
and geological history. When petroglyphs are in numbers and groups, 
their relation to each other to the points of the compass or to topo- 
graphical features, should be noted, if possible, by an accurate survey, 
otherwise by numeration and sketching. 
The following details should be carefully noted: The direction of 
the face of the rock; the presence of probable trails and gaps which 
may have been used in shortening distances in travel; localities of 
mounds and caves, if any, in the vicinity; ancient camping grounds, 
indicated by fragments of pottery, flint chips or other refuse; exist- 
ence of aboriginal relics, particularly flints which may have been used 
in pecking (these may be found at the base of the rocks upon which 
petroglyphs occur); the presence of small mortar-holes which may 
have served in the preparation of colors. 
With reference to pictographs on other objects than rock it is im- 
portant to report the material upon which they appear and the imple- 
ments ascertained to be used in their execution examples of which are 
given in other parts of this work. 
With reference to all kinds of pictographs, it should be remembered 
that mere descriptions without graphic representations are of little 
value. Probable age and origin and traditions relating to them should 
be ascertained. Their interpretation by natives of the locality who 
themselves make pictographs or who belong to people who have lately 
made pictographs is most valuable, especially in reference to such de- 
sigus as may be either conventional, religious, or connected with lines 
of gesture-signs. 
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