The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-10-29
ODDITIES OF sALUTATIoN.
An Index Of National Cbarsoter-some
Amusing Forms Irksome Customs.
fBrooklyn Eagle


brooklyn Eaglel
Nothing affords more interest and
amusement than an examination Of the
various modes of salutation practiced by
the nations of the earth. In some de-
gree these forms may be regarded as an
index of national character, or the cir
cumstances of national life. The lie
brew salultation was "PeaceW the
ancient Greek, "Re, ,o!ce. The modern
use the form, "N hat doest tbouf"
In Germany, "How DO you find your
selfP and IN some parts OF the
country they invariably kiss the hands
of all the ladies of their acquaintance
whom they meet. In pain, How goes
it"' and Spanish grandoes wear their
hats in the presence of their sovereign,
to show they are not so much subject
to him as to the rest of the nation.
When the royal carriage passes it is the
rule to throw open the cloak to show
that the person is unarmed. In the
West Indies the negroes say: "Havo you
had good sleep" In the sickly dis
tricts of Egypt where fever was com
mon and dangerous, they salute by say
ing, "How goes the perspiratin, Do
you sweat copiously'' ''ls it well with
thee" and the inhabitants kiss the back
of superior hand as an extra civility,
tho palm also.
Some nations seem to consider that
they evince the most delicate attention
and respect in their greetings by re-
moval of so'ue part of their wearing ap
parel, or by temporarily apprcpriatlng
some portion of the dress of the ones
greeted. The Ethiopian will take the
rooe OF another and fold it about his
own waist, leaving his friend but scant
lily clad, while the japanese removes
his slipper when he meets a superior,
eXClaimiug, Hurt me not, and
the people of Arracan their
sandals in the street and their
stockings in the house. The Philip
pine islanders take possession Of the
hand or loot of a person they salute and
gently rest it against their own faces;
while this ceremon" among the lap
landers takes the form of applying their
noses with some force against the sa-
luted ones and treating him to a spe-
cies of battering ram greeting. Ac-
cording to Dampier, the people of New
Guinea have more polite and pictur-
esque way Of exchanging this kind Of
ciyi ity, which they do by placing on
their heads the lea as of trees as being,
it may be assumed, symbolioal Of peace
and good fellowship.
ether salutations are of so complex
nature that this form OF politeness is
most deci edly irksome and can only he
acquired after the most assiduous prac-
tice speaking of the customs of the
inhabitants of an island in the straits
of the sound, Il French traveller tells US
that they raised his left foot, which
they pa sed over tho right leg and from
thence over his face. He, however,
onits to enlighten US whether Ire had
received preyio1s instruction and train
ing before taking part in this singular
proceeding but the effect on middle
aged gentleman Of aldermanic proper
tions in performing such an acrobatic
salutation o. hand would not, one
would imagine, be unattended with
awkward result. Although not so diff
cult of accomplishment the Inhabitants
of the Philippines are. lovers of a sore
what complex attitude in their saluta-
tions, which consist in bending the body
as close as possible to the earth, placing
the palms OF the hands on the cheeks
and then slowly raising one foot in the
air, with the knees bent.