Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-14
QUEER LANGUAGES.
sricULATE WHlSTlING PRAcTlCED
BY THE GoMERO ISLANDERS.

The "Drum Language" Used by the
Natives of the Cameroons-A West
African Travellers stor The Finger
Speech" of Oriental Traders.
At the last meeting Of the Berlin An
chronological society, Lieut.. Quedenfeldt,
a German officer who has lived on Gomero
island, one of the Canary group, described
a whistling language which is used by the
Inhabitants. The language does not con-
tist of any arbitrary series OF signals or
sounds: Il 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 be can carry on
"a conversation with neighbor a
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 ia
traversed by numerous gulies 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
stones throw of another in 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 useful
means of communication, which has
gradually assumed the proportions of a
true substitute for speech. ltis described
as being anything but unpleasing to the
ear.
TIE "DRUM LANGUAGE"
This reminds one of the drum language
of the natives of the Cameroous, 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 necesstate 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 .engthening the intervals between
each note, n code is established, with q
regular sequence of taps, strokes and in
tervals capable OF expressing every sylla-
bic in the language. All the natives un-
derstand this code, and SO highly elabor-
sted is it that chief can by its means
summon to his presence any villager
whom he desires TO sac, intimating to the
latter at the same time the purpose for
which he ia required. In this way, too,
messages can be sent from village to vii
lage over wide stretches Of country-the
drummer in one hamlet transmitting to
the next the signals he bears-and with
extraordinary rapidity.
Buchholz had proof on one occasion OF
tho utility of this drum language and its
caps bilities as a medium Of communica.
ton. 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 drumm wa:
| sent for and instructed to inform ie miss
ing servant that his master was very
| angry with him, and that he was to re
turn at once In a few minutes the mar
returned with the inevitable apologies fol-
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.
CR.N NrAL .'FISGER SPEECH"
| Equally curious is the SO called sigr
language, or finger speech, of orienta
traders, largely employed on the eas
coast of Africa, in the direction OF Zanzi
bar. Walking through n market place il
| this region of the world, the traveller vii
often witness a strange sight. A coupl,
Of grave, long bearded Arabs will steI
aside, each will put his hand up tn,
others capacious sleeve, and the pair viii
then begin apparently to pinch eacl
\ others fingers for a few minutes. Otter
the performances will be varied. One will
unrou his long turban cloth, or perhap
LIT up his long mantle and then cover hi
hand, and concealed beneath this tn,
p:nching of the fingers will proceed as be
fore The initiated know that this is
method of bargaining by means OF cod
of finger speech, understood by eastern
traders from southern Arabia and north
ern Africa 10 the borders of Persia.
Il has been adopted in the first Instance
for a simple reason. In the east, espe
cially along the coast OF the Red sea
Zanzibar aud southern Arabia, all bust
ness is transacted in the open air. Anc
in all such transactions the bystanders
idlers, riff-raff and meddlesome busy
bodies generally contrive to have goo'
deal 10 say, rendering their advice to botl
buyer and seller. The unwritten etiquett
OF the east requires that such friendl.
counsel should not be resented. But n
the merchants and dealers find 1t an un
mitigated nuisance and great hindranc
to business, they have adopted certain
code Of finger signs, which they exchanS
when bargaining, with their hands con
cealed under their sleeves or turban cloth
Each finger and each joint Of finger REP
resents certain figure. So the pair Gu
bargain by the hour-as they often do
To their hearts content, and none Of tn
noisy and gaping busybodies around ther
be any the wiser for it.-St. James Ga
zette.
Awful Medical Terms.
-A,,1 ,,,r h,-aa r