Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-02
Tn, sIpn Language OF the American In
diana.

JOHN u. i'll lCllCLL.
The Sign Language OF the american III
dtans.
The English journals praise Mr. }. =: koh!s
new book of American travel, "Aitch! tatni
or Wunderinss Round Lake Superior" Read
CTS who have not already perused Mr.. honls
agreeable pages, will be Interested in his de-
scrption OF the sign.lansuages now IN common
use among the aborigines Of America
when speaking, Tor instance, OF the Grca.
Spirit, they usually direct Teverental or timd
glance upwards, or point the ioretinger perpen-
dicuarly but gently to the sky
when abiding to the sun or 10 the time
which is much the same thing, as the sun is
their clock, and indicating the spot a: which
the sun stood when the event 70 which 'hcy
are abiding occurred, they poin, isediy to
that point, and hold their arm IN tnat poS''ioh
for several moments
"When speaking Of day, they pass the hn'
rer slowly along the entire vault Of heaven,
commencing ut the east and terminating IN the
west. This is the sign OF one day.
III shot has to be mentioned in The story,
they usually strike the palm OF the LETT with
the back Of the right hand, so Us 10 proaucc q
slight sound.
III describing journey Cd EorseoacA' me
two first fingers Of the right arc placed astrids
Of the fore.hnger Of the left hand and both
represent the gallopiDs movements Of morse
Ii i. is foot journey, they ware tac Two r"-
gers several times through the air ;,
In counting, the ten Fingers are na'ura'!y
used and the number is not Only held NJ, but
mentioned
In this ,n.noer and by many hundred s:ml
a., ur,Is itpif
uru! REMARKS And it will be seen, from tho
gestures have described, tha: the tongue can
be frequently allowed rest, and the meaning
perfectly conveyed by the signs.
! "Suppose all Indian wished 10 tell another
that he had ridden for three days over the
pruric. he first points to his own worthy per-
son: that will Indicate f. Then ne sets his
fingers galloping rs have described This
pcrlcrts the ideu: i travelled on horseback
Next he passes his hand once athwart the sky,
which furnishes the notion Of the day and
finally holds up three fingers before his friends
eyes, to show that he spent three days.
: 1T is r curious fact that though Indian
dialects differ so greatly, this language OF s'grS
| is the same for enormous distances All IRA
! rellers wiio haze crossed the praries, TOLD me
that Their. was only one sign-language. which
; who had learned il could travel with It from
! one end Of Amer;ca to Tho other.
; "For such signs Us those Of which / have
ci:er specimens, such as the sun, day, a
! number, a ht rseIuan Sc, when nothing better
; or more natural could be chosen, this is easily
! to be understood. But the sign language do
! veloped itself to fuller extent and undertook
| visible representation Of abstact Ideas
1lv n
, tional. Thus for instance, if desirnus 10 e2-
press the idea Of beauty this could not no i'm
ita!ed like the explosion Of gun. Still, some
! sign to express this idea could DO agreed on.-
Most curiuuSly, the Indian rncea were unanl.
NOUS in accepting the saulc sign. When lhty
wish 10 explain that they saw beautiful VIC
,ain, they pass the fiat hand gently and slowly
through tho air, as if initiating the wnreIine.-
Even the Sex is described unanimously
! When speaking OF woman the Indians pass
! the palm once down The face and the whole
! body, ~ If wishing TO Indicate the long wav-
ing dresses or the graceful contour OF The ie.
male body. This smoothing oil The face Uni.
/ versally means member OF the fair sex.
| "a copiuus grammar Of this language II
! signs could be written. How rich it would le
may be drawn from the fact that Indians Of
| two different tribes, who do not understand
word Of each others spoken language, will SIT
/! for half day on one spot, talking and chat
tering, and telling each other all SORTS Of
stories with movements Of their fingers, heads
and feet
"A hollow band, with the motion OF draw
ing water signifies water. When the finger
traces scrpantinc lines on tn: ground it Is
river. 4 hand moved up and down III the air
Signifies mountain.
The several beasts have naturally their SFe.
cial signs. Usually only soIue characteristic
portion Of the animal is ,.nitatad-fcr instance.
the horns The horns Of Inc buffalo differ 'r6ln
those o: the elk, and thus the entire animal IS
indicated.
THE idea Of large number or many, is
descl bed BY clutching at the air several times
with both hands The motion greatly rcser-
bles that Of danseuses playing the caSsagnetes.
Little, or nothing, is signifed by passing
one hand over the other.
VERY curious, but quite universal, is the
sign for admiration among the American In.
dams They hold the hollow hand for some
time before the mouth ibis is, however,
suspect, u species Of quid pro quo, and the
real sign-uulnely, the mouth widely opened
in arnnzerent-is concealed behind it. They
carry the hand to the mouth and conceal il.
because il is improper to displly emotion Or
admiration"