THE RED HAND. 



47 



iiibits, among other marks, two prints of the red 

 hand ; and I have been farther advised that the red 

 hand is seen constantly upon the buffalo robes and 

 skins of wild animals brought in by the hunters on 

 the Rocky Mountains, and, in fact, that it is a sym- 

 bol recognised and in common use by the North 

 American Indians of the present day. I do not 

 mention these as facts within my own knowledge, 

 but with the hope of attracting the attention of those 

 who have opportunities and facilities for investiga- 

 tion ; and I suggest the interesting consideration 

 that, if true, the red hand on the tent and the buffalo 

 robes points back from the wandering tribes in our 

 country to the comparatively polished people w^ho 

 erected the great cities at the south ; and if true 

 that it is at this day used as a sign or symbol by 

 our North American Indians, its meaning can be 

 ascertained from living witnesses, and through ages 

 of intervening darkness a ray of light may be thrown 

 back upon the now mysterious and incomprehensi- 

 ble characters which perplex the stranger on the 

 walls of the desolate southern buildings. 



On my return to the rancho I learned the cause 

 of the extraordinary attention shown us, which, 

 though we had received it as a matter of course, 

 and no more than what, for some unknown reasons, 

 was justly due to us, had, nevertheless, somewhat 

 surprised us. Our movements in that neighbour- 

 hood were matters of some notoriety. Albino's 

 preliminary visit and our intentions had reached the 



