Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-03-05
QUEER LANGUAGES.
ARTlcuLATE WHlSTLING PRACTlcED
BY THE GoMERO ISLANDERS.
The "Drum Language" Used by the
Natives of the Cameroons-A West
African Travellers Story-The Finger
Speech" of Oriental Traders.

Natives of the Cameroons-A West
African Travellers Story-The Finger
Speech" of Oriental Traders.
At the last meeting of the Berlin An
thropological society, Lieut.. Quedenfeldt,
q German officer who has lived on Gomero
island, one of the Canary group, described
whistling language which is used by the
inhabitants. The language does not con-
sist of any arbitrary series of signals or
sounds; it is described as ordinary speech
translated into articulate whistling each
syllable having its own appropriate tone.
The Gomero uses both fingers and lips
when whistling, and Lieut. Queden-
feldt asserts that he can carry on
a conversation with a neighbor
mile Off, who perfectly understands
all he is saying. The practice is confined
to Gomero island, and is quite unknown
in the other islands OF the archipelago
The adoption of the whistling language is
said TO be due to the peculiar geological
construction of Gomero island. 1t is
traversed by numerous gullies and deep
ravines, running out in all directions
from the central plateau. AS they are
not bridged, they can only be crossed with
great difficulty, hence man living within
q stones throw of another in a straight
line has often to go round many miles
when he wishes to see and speak to his
neighbor. This, it is conjectured, led to
the adoption of whistling as a useful
means of communication, which has
gradually assumed the proportions of q
true substitute for speech. tits described
as being anything but unpleasing to the
ear.
THE "DRUM LANGUAGE"
This reminds one of the drum language
Of the natives of the Cameroons, men
toned in Buchholz' book on west Africa,
by means of which the most complicated
messages can be conveyed to villages at a
distance when occasions necessitate it.
For this purpose peculiarly shaped drum
is employed BY dividing the surface
into uneven halves that instrument, on
being struck, may be made to yield two
distinct notes BY these, and shortening
and lengthening the intervals between
each note, code is established, with
regular sequence of taps, strokes and in
tervals capable of expressing every sylla-
bic in the language. All the natives I'M
derstand this code, and so highly elabor-
ated is it that chief can by its means
summon to his presence any villager
whom he desires to see, intimating to the
latter at the same time the purpose for
which he is required. In this way, too,
messages can be sent from village to vii
lage over wide stretches of countryside
drummer in one hamlet transmitting to
the next the signals he hears-and with
extraordinary rapidity.
Buchholz had proof on one occasion of
the utility of this drum language and its
capabilities as medium of communtca-
tion. The negro who had charge Of his
canoe obtained leave one morning to at
tend to some private business of his own,
which took him to the other side of the
river. The man remained away an un-
reasonable time, and Buchholz got very
angry, as he was waiting to leave the
place. Another negro suggested that they
should drum for him. The drummer was
sent for and instructed to inform the miss
ing servant that his master was very
angry with him, and that lie was to re-
turn at once. In few minutes the man
returned with the inevitable apologies for
the length of time he had been away.
He had perfectly understood the message
drummed out to him, as Buchholz ascer-
tanned by inquiring of him.
ORIENTAL ''FINGER SPEECH"
Equally curious is the so called sign
language, or finger speech, of oriental
traders, largely employed on the east
coast of Africa, in the direction of Zanzi-
bar. Walking through a market place in
this region of the world, the traveller will
often witness strange sight. A couple
of grave, long bearded Arabs will step
aside, each will put his hand up the
others capacious sleeve, and the pair will
then begin apparently to pinch each
others fingers for few minutes. Often
the performance will be varied. One will
unroll his long turban cloth, or perhaps
Lift up his long mantle and then cover his
hand, and concealed beneath this the
pinching of the fingers will proceed as be
fore. The initiated know that this is n
method of bargaining by means Of a code
of fAger speech, understood by eastern
traders from southern Arabia and north
ern Africa to the borders of Persia.
It has been adopted in the first instance
for a simple reason. In the east, espe-
cially along the coast Of the Red sea,
Zanzibar and southern Arabia, all busi-
ness is transacted in the open air. And
in all such transactions the bystanders,
idlers, riff raft and meddlesome busy
bodies generally contriye to have good
deal to say, rendering their advice to both
buyer and seller. The unwritten etiquette
of the east requires that such friendly
counsel should not be resented. But as
the merchants and dealers find it an un-
mitigated nuisance and a great hindrance
to business, they have adopted q certain
code of finger signs, which they exchange
when bargaining. with their hands con-
cealed under their sleeves or turban cloth.
Each finger and each joint of finger rep
resents q certain figure. SO the pair can
bargain By the hour-as they often do
to their hearts content, and none Of tho
noisy and gaping busybodies around them
be any the wiser for it.-St. James Ga
zefta