All other methods of writing, the hieroglyphs of the Micmacs of Acadia, the syllabic alphabet of the Cherokees, the pretended traces of Greek, Hebrew, and Celtiberic letters which have from time to time been brought to the notice of the public, have been without exception the products of foreign civilization or simply frauds.
Not a single coin, inscription, or memorial of any kind whatever, has been found on the American continent showing the existence, either generally or locally, of any other means of writing than those specified.
Poor as these substitutes for a developed phonetic system seem to us, they were of great value to the uncultivated man.

In his legends their introduction is usually ascribed to some heaven-sent benefactor, the antique characters were jealously adhered to, and the pictured scroll of bark, the quipu ball, the belt of wampum, were treasured with provident care, and their import minutely expounded to the most intelligent of the rising generation.

In all communities beyond the stage of barbarism a class of persons was set apart for this duty and no other.

Thus, for example, in ancient Peru, one college of priests styled _amauta_, learned, had exclusive charge over the quipus containing the mythological and historical traditions; a second, the _haravecs_, singers, devoted themselves to those referring to the national ballads and dramas; while a third occupied their time solely with those pertaining to civil affairs.

Such custodians preserved and prepared the archives, learned by heart with their aid what their fathers knew, and in some countries, as, for instance, among the Panos mentioned above, and the Quiches of Guatemala,[16-1] repeated portions of them at times to the assembled populace.