The Columbus journal., 1885-12-16
NAPLES.

ASbPASO ~ sAS SA S"A -
IN which, if you are acquainted with the
recognized language of signs. you can
buy and sell, impart and receive useful
information of various kinds, make
love, and challenge your enemy to the
death without opening your lips. Why
this is. 50 is q difficult question. Some
have supposed that these gestures were
once . secret speech. which the la1Es-
roni used in order to shield themselves
from the oppression Of their social su-
periors, and which they still employ to
inform each other of tho weaknesses of
their foreign patrons. This theory may
be correct; but sometimes one 10 in
clined to think that the motive that
prompted the invention and gave 1t cur
rency was less heroic and more practical.
May not the Neapolitsns haveadoPted
it because il enabled them to hold two
conversations 1t the seme time. end
thus to indulge in . double loQuacitys
We have spoken of tho language As
an invention; in this perhaps We were
wrong-it may be q survival. Some
time during the first half of the present
century a learned Neapolitan wrote q
book to prove that the gestures OF tho
figures depicted on Etruscan vases are
to all intents and purposes tho same as
those that are still daily employed in
the streets Of his native city. Whether
these strange signs are arelic of ancient
lore or only q modern trick. it Il certain
that NO foreigner and very few Neapoli-
tans of education have ever gained q
mastery over them. A few OF the
simplest are known TO every a who has
lived q year or two in the town. and
may be- seen even In the drawing
rooms; but how your cabman manages
to inform his friend that you have
come from the railway station. are
going to private lodgings in a certain
district of tho city, that you know its
customs, aud he considers you rather a
screw, is q mystery that done but cab-
men ever know. That he does 50 you
will soon perceive If you keep your eyes
open; and if. on the contrary. he re-
ports that 1t is your first visit to Naples
and you are lavish in cab-fares. the fact
will be announced in every street
through which you pass. and you will
find your travelling expenses rise accord
ingly. To the foreigner the cabman
seems the chief guardian of tho Etrus-
kn mystery; but the boatmen arc
equally cognizant Of it. and probably all
the lazzaroni are initiated. Whether
each trade has q language OF its " or
all use tho same gestures is q question
VIC can not even attempt to answer.
There are some simple signs. how
ever, which everyone in the city uses.
and if tho traveller can learn and use
them naturally. he will escape from
many of the Inconvenience Of life in
southern Italy. The man who says
NO" or still worse who shakes his
head at those who are impOrtunate
either for his aims or his custom. has
delivered himself over into tho hands of
tho tormentors. They know by expert
ence that foreigners may be driven by
loud cries and persistent following to
such desperation that quiet seems cheap
at almost any price.
Now, all this discomfort may be
avoided in a very simple way. You
have, first Of all, to make yourself &C.
quainted with the plan of the town. and
to walk out of the station without any
hesitation. If you 60 wrong. it does
not much matter; YOU can soon find
your way again. or if not. you a buy
. trifle at some shop. where they will
set you right. When the cabmen scream
at you. as they do at everyone. do not
look at them, but raise your chin
slightly. That means NO." and it will
generally quiet them. If they persist.
shrug your shoulders, pout your lips.
and elevate your chin more suddenly
and distinctly. with a side glance at
them. while you continue yOur walk.
That means Don't trouble me-" If it
should prove Intellectual, which 1t rarely
does, summon as much ~ferocity rs you
can easily command at q short notice
into your face, turn sharply on your
prosecutor, fix your eyes On his, and
draw your right hand. with the back
uppermost, gently but firmly from your
throat to your chin in such a way as to
push out your beard. il you are fortu.
nate enough to possess one. What this
gesture means we can not say; it is best
mo- to inquire. To judge from its effect
on the lazzaroni it is tantamount 70
very bad language indeed; SO that he
who employs it innocently may have all
the satisfaction without mourning any
of the guilt of those noble soldiers OF
ours who once fought In Flanders. Blu,
the gestures must be performed simply,
easily, almost mechanically. or the cab
man will discover that you are only q
fraud. and act accordingly.
To return to Naples, no inhabitant oi
the town ever thinks Of paying a cab
man his legal fare. Every one feels il
would be unius: 70 compel him TO drive
from one end of the city to tho othel
for the eightpence he has a right Il
claim. and on such occasions every ont
gives him something extra But fo1
short drives the eightpence is too much
On summer afternoons 4 walk through
the streets is almost intolerable. Yo,
have been to see the museum or tn,
aquarium. let US say; the walk from
either to the neighborhOod OF Sal
Carlo. where the great coffee house
are. is short: but If You go on foot. 20,
know You will be exhausted before vol
reach YOUR destination. As soon a
you appear on the public way half-a
dozen cabmen offer their services. 70,
choose the cab You like, say ..Sal
Carlo" place the first finger of you
left hand across the second joint o
t,e first finger Of your right. and wall
on. You have offered the driver half
lire. He shrugs his shoulders. and sit,
firmly on his box: do not turn YOU
head; in half a minute he will be rat
Ting along the road beside YOU. Blu
also . gratuity for me. SIR" The onl,
notice you take is slightly to elevat.
Your chin. without honoring him evel
with q side glance. Seeing YOU are NJ
adept. he cries at once. Come in. sir
come n" II you do so. you will have
no quarrel with him at parting. AL
but the very worst Neapolitans will adj
here to the agreement they have ono,
made; but your cabman will think non,
none the worse of you il you give hin
two soldi-one penny-at parting. Thi
gratuity is not unusual. and does not
Il bargain has been made. denote cx
tfsvagance.