[H3] 
They do not at prefent ufe hieroglyphics ; their 
figures being drawn, to the utmoft of their ikill, 
to reprefent the thing intended. For inftance, 
when they go to war, they paint fome trees with 
the figures of warriors, often the exad number 
of the party ; and if they go by water, they de- 
lineate a canoe. When they gain a victory, they 
mark the handle of their tomahawks with human 
figures, to fignify prifoners ; and draw the bodies 
without heads, to exprefs the fcalps they have 
taken. The figures which they affix to deeds 
have led fome to imagine, that they had alpha- 
betical characters or cyphers. The fad is this. 
Every nation is divided into tribes, of which fome 
have three, as the turtle, bear, andwtolf ; to which 
fome add the fnake, deer, &c. Each] tribe forms 
a little community within the nation ; and as the 
nation has its peculiar fymbol, fo has each tribe 
the particular badge from which it is denominated 
and a Sachem of each tribe being a neceffary party 
to a fair conveyance, fuch Sachem affixes the mark 
of his tribe thereto, like the public feal of a cor- 
poration. With refped to the deed of 1726, of 
which you fent me the fignatures, the tranfadion 
was in fome meafure of a partial nature. All the 
nations of the confederacy did not fublcribe it ; 
and thofe chiefs who did, negleded to pay due 
regard to their proper fymbols; but figned agree- 
ably to fancy, of which I have feen other inftances. 
The manner I have mentioned is the moll: au- 
thentic, and conformable to their original pradice. 
As to the information, which, you obferve, I 
formerly tranfmitted to the Governor of New 
York, 
