Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-22
QUEER LANGUAGES.
CONVERSATIONS CARRIED ON WITH
 OUT THE USE OF THE VOICE.

CONVERSATIONS CARRIED ON WITH
 OUT THE USE OF THE VOICE. The Inhabitants of Gomero Island Talk at
 Long Range - The Drums Which the
 Cameroons Use So Satisfactorily-Traders
 Who Pinch Each Others Fingers
 At one of the recent meetings of the Berlin Anthropological Society, Lieut.. Quedenfeldt, a German officer, who has lived on Gomero Island, one of the Canary group, described whistling language which is used by the in- habitants. The language does not consist of any arbitrary series of signals or sounds; 1t is described as ordinary speech, trans lated into artioulate whistling, each syl- liable having it's own appropriate tone. The Gomero uses both fingers and lips when whistling, and Lieut. Quedenfeldt asserts that he can carry on a conversation with neighbor & mile off, who perfectly understands all he is saying The practice is confined to Gomero Island and is quite un- known in the other islands of the archipelago The adoption of the whistling language is said to be due to the peculiar geological con- struction of Gomero Island. It is traversed by numerous gullies and deep ravines rum
 
 plateau. As they are not bridged they can only be crossed with great difficulty, hence a 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 bis neighbor. This, 1t is conjectured, led to the adoption of whistling as a useful means of communication, which has gradually as- sumed the proportions of 8 true substitute for speech It is described as being anything but unpleasing to the ear.
 'DRUMMING UP' IN WEST AFRICA.
 This reminds one of the drum language of the natives of Cameroons, mentioned in Buchholz's book on West Africa, by means of which the most complicated messages can be conveyed to villagers at distance when occasions necessitate it. For this purpose a peculiarly 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 by shortening or lengthening the intervals be- tween each note, a code is established, with regular sequence of taps, strokes and inter vals capable of expressing every syllable in the language. All the natives understand this code, and so highly elaborated is 1t that a 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 village over wide stretches of countrywide drummer in one hamlet trans mitting 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 it's capabilities as a medium of communica- tion. The negro who had charge of his canoe got leave one morning to attend to some private business of his own, which took him to the other side of the river The man remained away an unreasonable time, and Buchholz got very angy, 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 very angry with him, and that be was to return at once In few minutes the man returned, with the inevitable apologies for the length of time he had been away. He had per- fectly understood the message drummed out to him, as Buchholz ascertained by inquiring of him.
 TO PREVENT MEDDLING.
 Equally curious is the so called sign lan- guage, or finger speech of Oriental traders, largely employed on the east coast of Africa, i'll the direction of Zanzibar Walking through a market place in this region of the world the traveller will often witness a 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 l the performance will be varied One will | unroll his long turban cloth or perhaps lift | up his long mantle and then cover his hand, l and concealed beneath this the pinching of | the fingers will proceed as before. The initi- | ated know that this is method of bargaining | by means of a code of finger speech under | stood by eastern traders from southern Arabia | and northern Africa to the borders of Persia. It has been adopted in the first instance for a | simple reason In the east, especially along the | coast of tho Red sea, Zanzibar and southern Arabia, all business is transacted in the open 1 air. And ill all such transactions the by | islanders, idlers, riffraf and meddlesome busy l bodies generally contrive to have Q 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 mer- l chants and dealers find it an unnitigated nuisance and great hindrance to business, they have adopted certain code of finger signs, which they exchange when bargaining, with their hands concealed under their sleeves or turban cloth. Each finger and each joint of a finger represents a certain figure. So the pair can bargain by the hour, as they often do, to their hearts content, and none of the noisy and gaping busybodies around them will be any the wiser for it, St. James, Gazette.
 The Man 'Who Had the Idea." l hat would do wit $ha -t,<