The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-03-10
QUEER LAMeuAeEs.
Some savages Talk BY Whistling-
Others Pinch Fingers.
st. James Gazette,

one of the Canary group, describe'
a whistling language which is uset
by the inhabitants. The languag
does not consist of any arbitrar,
series of signals or sounds. 1t i
described aAordinary speech trans
lated into articulate whistling, eacl
syllable having its own appropriate
note. The Gomero uses both fin
gers and lips when whistling, ant
Lieutenant Quedenfeldt asserts tha
he can carry on conversation will
a neighbor mile off, who perfectly
understands all he is saying. Th'
practice is confined to Gomero Isl
Hand, and is quite unknown in tn,
other islands of the Archipelago
The adoption of the whistllng Ian
guage is said to be due to the pecu
liar geological construction of Go
nero 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 a mar
living within a stones throw of an
other in a straight line has often tt
go many miles when he wishes tc
speak to his neighbor. This, it is
conjectured, led to the adoption OF
whistling as a useful means Of com
munication, which has gradually
assumed the proportions of true
substitute for speech. 1t is de.
scribed as being anything but un-
pleasing to the ear.
This reminds one of the drum
language of the natives of the Cam
oroons, mentioned in Buchholz' s
book on West Africa, by means OF
which the most complicated messa-
ges can be conveyed to villages at
a distance when occasion necessi-
tates it. For this purpose a pecu-
liarly shaped drum is employed.
By dividing the surface into uneven
halves the instrument on being
struck may be made to yield two
distinct notes. By these and short
ening or lengthening the intervals
between each note, code is estab-
lished with a regular sequence OF
taps, strokes and intervals capable
of expressing every syllable in the
language. All the natives under.
stand this code, and SO highly elab-
Grated is it that a chief can by its
means summon to his presence any
villager whom he desires to see, in
timating to the latter at the same
time the purpose for which he is
required. In this way, too, mes
sages can be sent from village to
village over wide stretches of coun-
try-the drummer in one hamlet
transmitting to the next the signals
he hears-and with extraordinary
Buchholz had proof on
one occasion of the utility of this
drum-langlage and its capabilities
as a medium of communication.
The negro who had charge of his
canoe obtained leave one morning
to attend to some private business
of his own, which took him to the
other side of the river. The man
away an unreasonable
time, and Buchholz got very angry,
as he was waiting to leave the place.
Another negro suggested that they
should drum for him. The drum
mer was sent for and instructed to
inform the missing servant that his
master was very angry with him
and that he was to return at once.
in a 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
ascertained by inquiring
IF him.
Equally curious is the so-called
,ign-language, or finger speech OF
Oriental traders, largely employed
IN the east coast of Africa, in the
direction of Zanzabar. Walking
through a market place in this re-
ZION Of the world, the traveller will
,ften witness a strange sight. A
of grave, long-bearded Afri-
.ans will step aside, each will put
lis hand up the others capacious
sleeve, and the pair will then begin
apparently to pinch each others
ingers for few minutes. Often
he performance will be varied.
)ne will unroll his long turban
10th, or perhaps lift up his long
mantle and thea cover his hand,
md concealed beneath this the
of the fingers will proceed
8 before. The initiated know that
his is method of bargaining by
means of a code of finger speech
Understood by Eastern traders from
outhern Arabia and northern Al
ica to the borders of Persia. 1t
las been adopted in the first In
tance for simple reason. In the
Cast, especially along the coast OF
he Red Sea, Zanzibar, and southern
arabia, all business is transacted
n the open air. And in all SUCH
the bystanders, oilers,
iff.raff. and meddleeome busy