The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-11-21
STRANGE SOLICITATIONS.
Ways the Tribes Of Men Have of
Welcoming Guests.
Come Are Amusing, Some Acrobatfc, and
- Sumo a bsurd; but None Are Equal
to the Hearty American
Hand Shake.

Hand Shake.
Connected with the welcoming OF
guests and the greeting of friends
throughout the world are some Of So
ciety's most singular customs. In
scriptural days the usual formula OF
salutation among the Hebrews was
"shalom lekha," or Peace be with
thee" The same expression is in
vogue to-day among the Arabs, who in
response to it say: with thee be
pence. The formal salutations OF the
0rientsls are quite profuse, being ac-
cornpanied with various ceremonies;
they will embrace and kiss
one another, and an inferior will be-
stow a kiss on the hand or beard Of a
superior. To such degree was for
mality carried in the Bible lands that
We are told that the prophet wbo sent
his servant in great haste to lay his
staff upon the dead child forbade him
TO salute any body on the way lest he
lose precious time. For q siD4lar
reason the Saviour babe the seventy 10
salute none while on q Journey One
Of the prevailing modes Of salute ZION
among the Hebrews was the obeisance
which brought the person making 1t
to the ground, his beard literally
touching The dasf -.
Tho failippine Islanders rub their
faces gently with the hand or foot OF
the person whom they salute. If the
foot is cho. "a the visitor is put to
much personai discomfort and travel
-efs have found it difficult to maintain
their equilibrium during the ceremony.
1T takes a practical acrobat to submit
to the code of salutations muse among
the people of tho Straits OF the Sound.
We have 1t from Houtman that they
raised his left foot which they passed
gently over his right leg and thence
over his face. This is little more
complex than our universal Yankee
method of shaking hands, and not near
so desirable. :
Some Philippians rob their aeq,sains-
ances OF their robes. which they codi-
ly tic about their own waists, leaving
the saluted individual half naked IN
his presence. The Japanese, more POI
lite, only take of slipper and the
Arracans doff their sandals when they
salute in the street. and their stock
ines when they meet in the house.
The traveller Snelgrave once saw
five negro monarchs of Dahomey meet.
The ceremonies attendant on the occa-
sion were OF the most ridiculous de-
scription. It is a custom in Dahomey
for people of royal stock to snap the
middle finger three times when they
meet. We know that the more civil
lied Franks tore their dark locks and
presented them to, the person whom
they yaluted, and Athenaus assures us
that the inhabitants of Carmena would
open a vein and present their friend
with the blood that issued.
The Chinese possess a code of salu-
tations which is zealously adhered to
in nearly every part OF the Howery
Kingdom. II two persons meet after
long separation they celebrate the
event BY falling on their faces to the
earth several times Id succession. A
Chinaman is aptsto indulge in what we
term putting it on. Ask one how he
finds himself in health and he is likely
TO answer. Very well. thanks to your
abundant felicity Chinese etiquette
prescribes the use OF salutations and
compliments with minuteness that
staggers one who wishes to become
perfect in them. 1t tells where the
stranger is to DO seated, how many
h-lws he is to receive and when the
welcome is to be given with the right
hand and when with the left. The
lower class OF Chinese respect these
punctlios, and Ambassadors must
practice them forty days before they
+ can present themselvesat court.
1t is amusing to an American to see
the burly Germans rush into each
others arms with the enthusiasm OF
school-boys after a long separation,
and equally diverting to us is the pro-
fuse salutatison OF the French friend
who ggeeets us on the boulevard. One
OF the time-honored customs OF the
Esqulmaux used to be the placing OF a
greasy thumb against the nose with
,-4dthe fingers outspread before the face.
x much after the manner Of the boy who
performs a similar feat, though
Johuny's action, unlike the Esqui-'
maux's, is not regarded as a saluta~
r ton
i is to the wild nations, however,
that we go for the curious in saluta-
{. ton When two New Zealanders
come together they go through an
outlandish ceremony called tangl.
They first cover themselves with mats
4 that envelop the whole form. except
one eye. squat on the ground facing
Que another and weep copiously.
FL -is~earrict on for some little TINA,
when they shorten the distance BE-
tween them, and At lAst press their
noses soaesher III ths tlme giving ~