§ 
0f shells and beads, used by many 
nations of North America. Similar 
ito thosb used by some ancient or 
cude nations in all the parts of the 
world, as tokens of ideas. 
5th Series.— Runic glyphs or 
marks and notches on twigs or lines, 
used by several nations of North 
: America. Consimilar to the runic 
glyphs of the Celtic and Teutonic 
nations. 
6th Series .— Runic marks and dots 
or graphic symbols, not on strings 
nor lines, but in rows; expressing 
words or ideas; used by the ancient 
nations of North America and Mex- 
ico, the Talegas, Aztecas, Natchez, 
Fowhatans,Tuscaroras, &c. and also 
the Muhizcas of South America. 
Similar to the ancient symbols of 
the Etruscans, Egyptians, Celts, &c. 
and the Ho4u of the Chinese, in- 
vented by Tsang-liie ; called also 
the Ro-teu-chu letters, which were 
in use in China till 8 27 before our 
erht 
7th Series . — Alphabetical sym- 
bols, expressing syllables or sounds; 
not words, but grouped; and the 
groups disposed in rows; such is the 
graphic system of the monuments of 
Otolum, near Palenque, the Amerh 
can Tbebes, Consimilar to the 
groups of alphabetical symbols used 
by the ancient Lybians, Egyptians, 
Persians, and also the last graphic 
system of the Chinese, called Ven- 
tze , invented by Sse-hoctng. 
8 th Series .— Cursive symbols in 
groups, and the groups in parallel 
rows, derived from the last, (which 
are chiefly monumental,) ana used 
in the manuscripts of the Mayans, 
Guatimalans, &c. Consimilar to the 
actual cursive Chinese, some demo- 
tic Egyptian and many modifications 
of ancient graphic alphabets, group- 
ing the letters or syllables. 
9th Series . — Syllabic letters ex- 
pressing syl lables, not simple sounds, 
and disposed in rows. Such is the 
late syllabic alphabet of the Chero- 
kis, and many graphic inscriptions 
found in North and South America. 
Similar to the syllabic alphabets of 
Asia, Africa, and Polynesia. 
10th Series .— -Alphabets or gra- 
phic letters expressing simple 
sounds, and disposed in rows. 
Found in many inscriptions, medals, 
and coins in North and South Ame- 
rica, and lately introduced every 
where by the European colonists. 
Similar to the alphabets of Asia, Af- 
rica, and Europe. 
11th Series .— Abreviations or let- 
ters standing for whole words, or 
part of a glyph and graphic delinea- 
tion, standing and expressing the 
whole. Used by almost all the 
writing nations of North and South 
America, as well as Asia., Europe, 
and Africa. 
1 %th Series . — Numeric system of 
graphic signs, to express numbers. 
All the various kinds of signs, such 
as d o ts, 1 i n e s, strok e s, ei r cf e s, gl y phs, 
letters, &c. used by some nations of 
North and South America, as well 
as in the eastern continent. 
In my next letter I shall chiefly 
illustrate the 7th and 8th series, so 
as to decypher and explain one of 
the most curious and least known of 
the American modes of expressing 
and perpetuating ideas. I shall give 
a figure of a sample of those monu- 
mental symbols, with comparative 
figures of two alphabets of Africa, 
the nearest related to them, and 
where the elements may be traced, 
which are grouped in those glyphs 
Some years ago, the Society of 
Geography, of Paris, offered a large 
premium for a voyage to Guatemala, 
and a new survey of the antiquities 
of Yucatan and Chiapa,f chiefly those 
fifteen miles from Palenque, which 
are wrongly called by that name. I 
have restored to them the true name 
of Otolum, which is yet the name of 
the stream running through the ru- 
ins. I should have been inclined to 
undertake this voyage and explora- 
tion myself, if the civil discords of 
the country did not forbid it. My 
attention was drawn forcibly to this 
subject as soon as the account of 
