The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-01-18
QUEER LANGUAGES.
ARTlCULATE WRESTLING PRAcTIcE0
BY THE GOMERO ISLANDERS.

The "Drum Language" Used by the
Natives of the CamerOons-A West
African Travellers Story-The Finger
Speech" of Oriental Traders.
At the last meeting of the Berlin An
thropOlogical society, Lieut.. Quedenfeldt,
German officer who has lived on GGmerO
island, one of the Canary group, described
whisting language which is used by the
inhabitants. The language does not con-
sist 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 ne can carry on
q conversation with neigbbor q
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 Gomoro island. IL IS
trayersed by numerous gulhes and deep
ravines, running out in all directions
from the central plateau. AS they ara
not brid9ed, they can only be crossed with
great difficulty, hence a man living within
line has often to so round many miles
when he wishes to see snd speSk to mis-
neighbor. This, it IS coEjectured, led TO
the adoption of whistling a. 4 useful
means of communication, which has
gradually assumed tue proportions OF
true substitute for speech. II is described
as being anything but unpleasing 10 the
ear.
THE "DRUN LAEGUA-E.
~
of the natives OF the Cameroons, men,
tionsd in Buchholz' book on west Africa,
by means of which The most complicated
messages can be conveyed to villages at
distance when occasions necessitate 1t.
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, ond shortening
and frightening the intervals between
each note, code is established, with q
regular sequence Of taps, strokes and IN
tervals capable Of expressing every sylla-
BILE in tie language. All tie natives I'M
derstand this code, and so highly elabor-
Rted Is it that CHIEF eau by its mems
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,
lage over wide stretches OF Countrywide
drummer in one hamlet transmitting 20
the next the signals he hears-and with
extraordinary rapidity.
Buchholz had proof on one occasion Of
the utility of this drum LANGUAGE and its
capabilities as medium OF communion
ton. Tho negro who had charge OF HIS
canoe obtained leave one morning to at
tend to some private business of his own,
,i1H Sf,sNly hi tn IN 9TH cid ~
river. The msn remained away an m
reasonable time, and Buchholz got very
angry, as he was waiting TO leave the
place. Another negro suggested that they
should drum Tor him. The drummer was
sent for and instructed to inform the MISS
ing servSnt that his master was very
angry with him, and that he was to re-
turn st once. In few minutes the man
returned with the inevitable apologies for
the length Of time he had been way.
he had perfectly understood the message
drUmmed out to him, as Buchholz eScer-
raine6 by inquiring Of him.
ORIENTAL GINGER SPEECH"
Equally curious is the so called sign
language, or finger speech, of oriental
traders, largely employed on the east
coast of Africa, in the direction of ZanZi-
bar. Walking throU Il market place in
this region of the world, the traveller VIII
often witness a strange sight. A cor Die
of grave, long bearded Arabs VIII sep
aside, each viii put his hand up the
others capacious sleeve, and the pair VIII
then begin apparently to pinch each
others fingers for few minutes. Often
the performance will be varied. One VIII
unroll his long turban cloth, or perhaps
lift up his long mantle and then cover his
hand, and concealed beneath this ths
pinching OF the fingers will proceed rs be-
fore. The initiated know that this IS a
method of bargaining by means Of d code
OF finger speech, understood by eastern
traders from southern Arabia and north
ern Africa to the borders ot Persia.
It has been adopted in the first instance
for simple reason. In the east, espe-
ciaily along the coast OF the Red sea,
Zanzibar and southern Arabia, all bust
ness is transacted in the open dir. And
il oil such transactions the bystanders,
idlers, rif-raT and meddlesoms busy
bodies generally coRtrive to have good
deal TO say, rendering their advice to beth
buyer ard seller. The ulvritten etiquette
of the ea8t requires that such friendly
counsel should not be resented. But as
the merchants and dealers find ii an IN
mitiCated nuisance and a great hiEdrance
to business, they have adopted certain
code of finger signs which they exchange
when bargaining, with their hands con-
ceaIed under their sleeves or turban cloth.
Each finger and each joint of q finger rep
resents g certain fgU.e. So the pair can
bargain By tbs hOur-as they often do
to their hearts content, and none Of the
noisy and gaping busybodies around them
be any the wiser tor it.-St. James Ca
zette.