"TIMEHRI" OR PICTURED ROCKS. 



By J. Rodway. 



It is desirable that this Journal should contain some account of the 

 pictured rocks from which it derives its name and though we have little 

 to say of their origin it may be well to put on record what we can 

 gather. 



Geographically the pictured rocks are comprised nearly within the 

 boundaries of Guiana, including however several branches of the Rio 

 Negro and Orinoco. They are not found in small rivers or creeks ; we 

 have them in the Essequebo, Berbice and Corentyne, but not in the 

 Demerara. They are usually engraven on rocks near the rapids and 

 may possibly commemorate stages in a migration which took a long 

 time and culminated at a recent date in some branches of the Rio Negro. 

 These in British Guiana are generally covered with a black deposit of 

 manganese and iron, which seems to indicate considerable antiquity, but 

 Koch-Griinberg found in the Rio Negro examples that appeared to be 

 quite recent. Some were apparently unfinished and he thought they 

 were often done at intervals, and that the workers returned again and 

 again to do a little at a time. Proof of recent work was seen in two 

 elaborate figures on a clay bank, which were easily recognised as in dance 

 costumes representing a butterfly and a vulture. 



Here we have an indication of the meaning of the figures ; they 

 are dancers, but only here and there can we see a figure complete enough 

 to be recognisable. Sometimes only the head is engraved, hence some 

 have spoken of sun worship, because the rough circle with rays, which 

 is really the head with a feather crown, looks like the sun's disc. In 

 confirmation of the view that the figures are connected with dances we 

 find engravings of birds, beasts, turtles, etc., somewhat like those found 

 on dancing sticks. It is interesting to note that some have strings of 

 beads or quipus which possibly indicate divisions of time and suggest 

 that something was meant to be conveyed to those who understood the 

 system. 



As none of the Indians can tell us the meaning of the pictures we 

 can only speculate and suggest possibilities. We have to start with 

 Indian dances and try to find out the reasons for the celebrations. In a 

 general way they mean a feast or drinking bout, and the advent of 

 strangers. In early times there were feasts after a victory when plenty 

 of meat was available in the shape of the slain and prisoners. We may 

 perhaps picture an invasion of a country by strangers like the Caribs, 

 who fought their way through other tribes and perhaps commemorated 

 a victory by a dance and a record which could be read by those proficient 

 in these picture writings. We have evidence of esoteric knowledge in 

 the Piaimen, and even yet there may be something procurable that may 

 help us to the key. Mr. Penard in Surinam did a little, but I am not quite 

 satisfied with his explanation of Timehri. In a general way it may be 



