San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-01
QUEER LANGUAGES.
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
Archaeological 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;
it is described as ordinary speech, trans
lated into articulate whistling, each syl-
liable having its own appropriate tone
The Gomero uses both fingers and lips
when whistling, and Lieut.. Quedenfeldt
asserts that he can carry on conversation
with a neighbor a mile off, who perfectly
understands all he is saying. The practice is
confined to Gomero Island and is quite IN
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. 1t is traversed
by numerous gullies and deep ravines run
ming 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 a stones throw Of another
In a straight line has often to go round many
miles when he wishes to see and speak to his
neighbor. This it is njectured, led to the
adoption of whistling a useful means OF
communication, which has gradually as
sumed the proportions of a true substitute
for speech. 1t 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 a distance when
occasions neces ,itate 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
walls capable Of expressing every syllable in
the language. All the natives understand
this code, and so highly elaborated is it 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
countryside drummer in one hamlet trans
hitting 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 its
capabilities as a medium of communica-
ton. 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
BuchholE 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 was very
angry with him, and that he 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 lam
guage, or finger speech Of Oriental traders,
largely employed on the east coast of Africa,
in the direction of Zanzibar Walking
through 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
the performance will be varied One will
unrou his long turban cloth, or perhaps lift
up his long mantle and then cover his hand,
and concealed beneath this the pinching of
the fingers will proceed as before. The init
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.
1t has been adopted in the first instance for a
simple reason. In the east, especially along the
coast of the Red sea, Zanzibar and southern
Arabia, all business is transacted in the open
air. And in all such transactions the by
ISLANDERS, idlers, riff afr and med Ilesome busy
bodies generally contrive to have a good deal
to say, rendering their advice to both buyer
and seller. The unwritten etiquette of the
east requires that such friendly counsel