±08 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. V., No. 110. 



sylvania university, Kentuck} 7 . After his death 

 in 1840, the manuscript of the Delaware record 

 came for a time into the hands of the distin- 

 guished archeologist, Mr. J. L. Squier, who in 

 1848 read before the New- York historical so- 

 ciety an incomplete summary of its contents, 

 giving only a portion of its Indian text and of 

 the s} T mbols. This was published soon after, in 

 the American review, and has been since re- 

 printed in other publications. Thus enough 

 has been known of this singular composition 

 to excite the curiosity of students of Indian 

 archeolog} T , who have long regretted the dis- 

 appearance and supposed loss of the original 

 manuscript. By persistent inquiry, Dr. Brin- 

 ton has succeeded in recovering it, and has 

 now published the work in full, with all the 

 mnemonic signs, the Delaware text, a new and 

 exact translation, an ample introduction, and 

 man}' useful notes. 



Rafinesque's peculiarities, and some other 

 circumstances have caused a doubt to be cast 

 on the authenticity of the Walam olum. The 

 evidence adduced by Dr. Brinton, however, 

 seems quite sufficient to show that it is a genu- 

 ine Indian production, though its date and 

 authorship are uncertain. Any one who will 

 compare the symbols, or picture-signs, in this 

 work, with those given by the native historian, 

 Copway, in his ' Traditional history of the 

 Ojibwa} 7 nation,' will be satisfied that they be- 

 long to the same system of notation. In fact, 

 of the fifty symbols depicted in Cop way's book, 

 about half appear in the Walam olum, either 

 precisely the same, or with just such variations 

 as might be expected in an independent work. 

 These symbols are, in part, rude representa- 

 tions of natural objects, — sun, moon, and stars, 

 man, snake, fish, river, canoe, and the like, — 

 bearing, as might be expected, a certain re- 

 semblance to the curt pictorial outlines from 

 which the Chinese characters were developed. 

 Besides these, there are some purely conven- 

 tional symbols, which are found both in Cop- 

 way's book and in the present work, and which 

 show that Indian inventiveness had already 

 passed into the higher stage, in which ideas as 

 well as objects are represented. A hollow 

 square or parallelogram signifies 'great.' A 

 circle with a point in the centre is the sign for 

 ' spirit,' and, when made of unusual size, indi- 

 cates 'the great spirit.' Four angular points 

 jutting from it in opposite directions represent 

 the cardinal points, and conve} 7 the meaning 

 of 'the great spirit everywhere.' Thus the 

 Lenape and the Ojibways were on the very 

 verge of that Egyptian method of word-pictures 

 which preceded the invention of the alphabet. 



Each s3'mbol of the Walam olum recalled to 

 the mind of the record-keeper the verse or 

 strophe of a chant. Thus, when he drew forth 

 from his bundle of ' painted sticks ' the one 

 on which this symbol of the great spirit was 

 depicted, he recognized it as indicating a well- 

 known verse of five Lenape words, which are 

 here given opposite the symbol, and which 

 Dr. Brinton's version renders, "At first, for- 

 ever, lost in space, everywhere the great Man- 

 ito was." In about two hundred such strophes, 

 indicated by as many symbols, we have the 

 Lenape cosmogony set forth, followed by a 

 history of the early wanderings of their people, 

 and a list of ninety chiefs who successively held 

 the headship of the tribe. Man}- interesting 

 questions are raised by this history, which Dr. 

 Brinton has not undertaken to answer ; but he 

 has supplied abundant materials and aids for 

 students who desire, as doubtless man} 7 will, to 

 pursue this attractive investigation. 



His introductory chapters furnish a succinct 

 account of the tribes of the Algonkin stock, 

 and of their neighbors the Iroquois, whose 

 history is closely connected with their own. 

 The political constitution of the Lenape septs, 

 their mode of life, their religious belief and 

 ceremonies, their moral and mental character, 

 are concisely but clearly delineated. Their 

 language is carefully analyzed ; and the exist- 

 ing sources, in print and manuscript, from 

 which a knowledge of it may be obtained, are 

 more fully recorded than has ever before been 

 done. Certain disputed points in the later his- 

 toiy of the nation are well discussed, though 

 in some of these the author must expect to en- 

 counter opposing views. Throughout this in- 

 troduction, and indeed in the whole work, the 

 marks of great labor and of conscientious care 

 are apparent. Evidence also is seen of the in- 

 sight derived from long-continued study of the 

 Indian character, customs, and languages. 

 The volume will not merely be in itself a most 

 valuable acquisition to all students of Ameri- 

 can archeology, but might well serve as a model 

 for future inquirers who may have occasion to 

 undertake similar researches. 



KINGSLEY'S MADAM HOW AND LADY 

 WHY. 



We once heard an eminent actor describe 

 Charlotte Cushman as "a magnificent example 

 of a style of acting now happily passed by." 



Madam How and Lady Why, or first lessons in earth-lore 

 for children. By Charles Kingsley. New York, Macmillan 

 & Co., 1885. 18°. 



