ON THE OEiaiN AND MIGRATIONS OF THE POLYNESIAN NATION. 69 



executed tlie writing, and a representation of the sun. Ten hori- 

 zontal lines on the right side of the figure denoted the number of 

 expeditions in which the warrior had been engaged ; and opposite 

 to each of these lines on the left there was a series of marks 

 resembling the letter X, with a bar across the top of it, repre- 

 senting the number of scalps or of prisoners he had taken ; the 

 sex of the victim being designated by a slight variation of the 

 character, and the central part of the figure being occupied with 

 a rude drawing of three different British forts which he had 

 attacked on these occasions. At the bottom of the figure there 

 were twenty-three vertical lines inclining a little to the left (the 

 figure of the sun in the first line of the writing being at the right 

 side of the painting) to denote that at the time the record was 

 left the writer was marching on another expedition to the north- 

 ward. 



So far north, even, as the Hudson's Bay Territory, this method 

 of communication by picture-writing prevails among the wild 

 Indians of that inhospitable region. The Eev. John West, one 

 of the Hudson's Bay Company's chaplains, on travelling in the 

 Eed River colony in the year 1820, came up with an Indian 

 family who proposed accompanying him to the factory. "The 

 Indian had two sons, who, he said, were gome in the pursuit of a 

 deer ; and on quitting the encampment to travel with us he 

 would leave some signs for them to follow us on their return. 

 They were drawn upon a broad piece of wood which he prepared 

 with an axe. They were — 1st. A tent struck to intimate that 

 the party had gone forward in a particular direction ; 2ud. Pour 

 rude figures indicating the number of the party, and exhibiting 

 by their dress and accoutrements the rank or condition of each 

 individual, viz., a European chief, a European servant, and Indian 

 attendant, and the two Indians from the encampment. 3rd. A 

 curvilinear figure with the two extremities of the curve pointing 

 towards the hindermost of the figures, to intimate to the Indian's 

 two sons that they were to follow the party." * 



The development of this rude method of communication into 

 the famous picture-writing of Mexico was a natural process to be 

 expected in the progress of society in the large wealthy capital of 

 a great empire like that of Montezuma. 



The same remark holds good also in regard to the astronomical 

 knowledge exhibited in the remains of the ancient Mexicans. The 

 germs of that knowledge Existed in Polynesia, and only required 

 a suitable field for its development ; for my friend Mr. Edward 

 Hill informs me that the South Sea Islanders have, in certain 

 islands, at least sufficient astronomical knowledge to steer their 

 course by the stars, 



* The substance of a journal during a residence at the Red Eiver Colony; 

 by John West, M.A., London, 1824. 



