520 INDIAN HIEROGLYPHICS. Book III. 
have been chosen in support of this theory. I here give 
some delineations which may serve to uphold a contrary 
view of the subject. 
Among the many hundreds of these carvings which I 
saw along the Gila and 
elsewhere, two distinctive 
kinds are very evident. 
Ill The one contains repre- 
\ " ^k sentations of distinct ob- 
JD*x jects, such as men and 
lllIHfUIII? $ animals. Probably even 
IMJlfiUtntl 1 • A tnese P oss ess a more ge- 
neral meaning by their 
combination with each 
other and with the less ex- 
plicable characters. But 
— be that as it may — I 
am convinced that the 
second class of characters 
must have some general 
meaning, and were in- 
tended as a communica- 
tion of ideas. I have frequently asked Indians for an 
explanation ; but either they could not, or would not 
give me any. This last was evidently the case with 
the Chief of the Yumas, who took much trouble to 
convince me that the figures on the rocks near the Lower 
Ferry over the Colorado had no meaning. They were, 
he said, nothing but children's play, and done by knocking 
one stone upon another ; and he took up a stone in his 
hand and showed me how it was effected. But I have 
reason to believe that he did not speak the truth. It is pos- 
sible, and even probable, that a modern, and in this respect 
