Smyrna times., 1888-03-28
THE "DRUM LANGUAGE. :"

gradually assumed the proportions of a
true substitute for speech. Itis 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 q
distance when occasions necessitate it.
For this purpose a peculiarly shaped drum
is employed. By dividing the surface
into uneven halves that instrument, Oh
being struck, may be made to yield two
distinct notes. By these, and shortening
and lengthening the intervals between
each note, q code is established, with
regular sequence of taps, strokes and in
/ tervals capable of expressing every sylla
| Bile in the language. All the natives un
/ derstand this code, and 50 highly elabor
ated is it that chief can by its mean
summon 10 his presence any village
whom he desires to see, intimating to tn
latter at the same time the purpose TO
which he is required. In this way, toe
messages can be sent from village to vii
lage over wide stretches of country-th
drummer in one hamlet transmitting t
the next the signals he hears-and wit
extraordinary rapidity.
BuchhOlz had proof on one occasion {
the utility of this drum language and il
capabilities as a medium of cOmmunicj
tion. The negro who had charge of h
canoe obtained leave one morning to a
tend to some private business of his owl
which took him to the other side of IL
river The man remained away an III
reasonable time, and Buchholz got veI
angry, as he was waiting to leave Il
place. Another negro suggested that the
should drum for him. The drummer WI
sent for and instructed to inform the mis-
ing servant that his master was vel
angry with him, and that he was to +
turn at once. In few minutes the ma
returned with the inevitable apologies f
the length of time he had been ava
He had perfectly understood the messai
drummed out to him, as Buchholz asce
tanned by inquiring Of him.
ORIENTAL GINGER SPEECH"
Equally curious is the so called sil
language, or finger speech, of orient
} traders, largely employed on the ca
y coast of Africa, in the direction Of Zan
bar. Walking through a market place
this region of the world, the traveller W
often witness strange sight. A cOuI
of grave, long bearded Arabs will st
aside, each will put his hand up t
others capacious sleeve, and the pair "
! then begin apparently to pinch ca
= others fingers for a few minutes. Oft
the performance will be varied. One W
unroll his long turban cloth, or perhs
lift up his long mantle and then cover
hand, and concealed beneath this
pnching of the fingers will proceed as
fore. The initiated know that this is
method of bargaining by means of &C
o of finger speech, understood by eastS
traders from southern Arabia and nor
ern Africa to the borders of Persia.
It has been adopted in the first instaI
n for a simple reason. In the cast, es
" cially along the coast of the Red S
Zanzibar and southern Arabia, all bJ
ness is transacted in the open air. A
in all such transactions the bystandC
idlers, riff-raff and meddlesome bu
II bodies generally cOntrive to have g
MI deal to say, rendering their advice to b
" buyer and seller. The unwritten etiquC
of the cast requires that such frien
counsel should not be resented. But
NJ the merchants and dealers find it an
W mitigated nuisance and great hindra
Q to business, they have adopted cert
code of finger signs, which they excha
when bargaining, with their hands {
cealed under their sleeves or turban cl'
osi Each finger and each joint of a finger
resents n certain figure. So the pair
bargain by the hOur-as they often
to their hearts content, and none of
noisy and gaping busybOdies around Il
be any the wiser for it-St. James
veil Zette