are perfectly familiar with the contents of certain historical quipus preserved from ancient times; but they keep their knowledge a profound secret, especially from the white men.[1]
Coming nearer to China, quipus are found in the Eastern Archipelago and in Polynesia proper,[2] and they were in use in Hawaii forty years ago, in a form seemingly not inferior to the most elaborate Peruvian examples. "The tax-gatherers, though they can neither read nor write, keep very exact accounts of all the articles, of all kinds, collected from the inhabitants through- out the island. This is done principally by one man, and the register is nothing more than a line of cordage from four to five hundred fathoms in length. Distinct portions of this are allotted to the various districts, which are known from one another by knots, loops and tufts, of different shapes, sizes, and colours. Each taxpayer in the district has his part in this string, and the number of dollars, hogs, dogs, pieces of sandalwood, quantity of taro, etc., at which he is rated, is well defined by means of marks of the above kinds, most ingeniously diversified."[3]
The fate of the quipu has been everywhere to be superseded, more or less entirely, by the art of writing. Even the picture-writing of the ancient Mexicans appears to have been strong enough to supplant it. Whether its use in Mexico is mentioned by any old chronicler or not, I do not know; but Boturini placed the fact beyond doubt by not only finding some specimens in Tlascala, but also recording their Mexican name, nepohualtzitzin,[4] a word derived from the verb tlapohua, to count. When, therefore, the Chinese tell us that they once upon a time used this contrivance, and that the art of writing superseded it, the analogy of what has taken place in other countries makes it extremely probable that the tradition is a true one, and this probability is reinforced by the unlikeliness of such a story having been produced by mere fancy.
Moreover, the historical value of early tradition does not lie
- ↑ J. J. v. Tschudi, 'Peru;' St. Gall, 1846, vol. ii. p. 383. See Markbam, 'Gr. & Dic. of Quichua,' p. 11.
- ↑ Marsden, p. 192. Keate, loc. cit. Klemm, C. G., vol. iv. p. 396.
- ↑ Tyennan and Benuet, Journal; London, 1831, vol. i. p. 455.
- ↑ Boturini, 'Idea de una nueva Historia,' etc.; Madrid, 1746, p. 85.
