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_ petiteanmunsecmenitsiaitisaniiti 
1884, ] 687 (Wall, 
On some Indian picture rocks in Fayette County, Pa. By Mr. J. Sutton 
Wall. 
(Read before the American Philosophical Society, Oct. 3, 1884.) 
The tracing on muslin (Plate I.), exhibited this evening, was made by 
Mr. William Arison, of Monongahela City, and myself, in the month of 
September, 1882. 
This rock is perched on the crest of the hill facing the Monon- 
gahela river, opposite the town of Millsborough, at an elevation of 290 
feet (by barometer) above water level of the river. It is a detached portion 
of the Waynesburgh sandstone which outcrops in the vicinity. Rather 
coarse in texture, it has a fairly even and smooth top surface, and is ap- 
proximately sixteen feet square, with perpendicular sides. The top of the 
hill, next to the river, terminates rather sharply, and the ground surface 
receding from the river has a gradual fall of about ten feet per hundred 
for a distance of perhaps eighty yards, and then rises into a more elevated 
hill to the eastward of the rock. The rock occupies a position from 
which a very fine view of the river and Ten Mile valley can be had. The 
edge of the rock next to the river rests about even with the ground sur- 
face surrounding it, while the opposite edge rests about three feet above 
ground. It is not fissile and the top surface would be difficult to remove, 
The outlines of the figures are formed by grooves on channels smoothly 
and regularly cut or incised in the top surface and on two sides, of the 
width shown on the tracing, and: are from three-fourths of an inch to a 
mere trace in depth. The foot-prints and cup-shaped cavities are carved 
about the same depth, except the large circular disc, which also is a cupped- 
shaped cavity, about five inches in depth. There are the outlines of two 
animals carved on the sides, one on the south side, which is shown on the 
tracing, and the other on the east side, not shown. 
The figure composed of three connected links, with three lines or per- 
haps arrows drawn across them, I am inclined to place to the credit ot 
vandalism, which is still in rapid progress, and will ultimately destroy the 
original carvings. Some of the lines are becoming quite faint, owing no 
doubt to erosion by the atmosphere. We only traced those lines and pores 
tions of lines that were distinctly legible. 
Mr. Joseph Horner, and old resident of Millsborough, informs me that 
the figures were much more distinct, when he first saw them fifty years 
ago, than at the present time. A tradition exists in the neighborhood that 
the early settlers were informed by the Indians, that they had no knowl- 
edge of the authors of the carvings, but that they found them as the 
“white men’’ then saw them. The tracing shows all the figtres res 
versed, but by looking through the canvas from the other side you can 
see them in their true position, which may be done by placing lights be» 
hind it. The tracing was made by painting the grooves and indentations 
with a mixture of lamp-black and turpentine, and then spreading strips of 
muslin over the portions painted, and by using a brush and our fingers, 
PROC, AMER. PAHILOS. SOC. xxr, 116, 417. PRINTED NOVEMBER 29, 1884, 
