The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-10-11
QUEER SALUTATIONS,
MANNERS OF GREETING OBSERVED
BY DIFFERENT PEOPLES,

Foot-Compliments That Chinese Eth
quette Prescribes-The Welcome That
DIR. Livingstone Got from Africans.
Connected with the welcoming Of
guests and the greeting of friends
throughout the world are some of 30
ciety's most singular customs. In script
ural days the usual form of salutation
among the Hebrews was "Shalom lek-
ha, or peace be with thee" The same
expression is in vogue today among the
Arabs, who in response to 1t say, "With
thee be peace" The formal salutations
of the orientals are quite profuse, being
accompanied with various ceremonies;
oftentimes they will embrace and kiss
one another, and an inferior will bestow
kiss on the hand or beard of superior.
To such degree was formality carried
in the Bible lands that we are told that
the prophet who sent his servant In great
haste to lay his staff upon the dead child
forbade him to salute anybody on the
way lest he lose precious time. For a
similar reason the Saviour babe the sew
enty to salute none while on journey.
One of the prevailing modes Of saluta-
tion among the Hebrews was the obei-
sance which brought the person making
it to the ground, his beard literally
touching the dust.
The Philippine Islanders rub their
faces gently with the hand or the foot
of the person whom they salute. If the
foot is chosen the visitor is put to much
narcnno1 Hiconr,, o,,I %rox
found it difficult to maintain their equi-
librium during the ceremony. 1t takes
practical acrobat to submit to the code
Of salutations in use among the people
of the 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 a little more complex than our uni
versal Yankee method of shaking hands,
and not near SO desirable.
IN THE FLowERY KINGDOM.
Some Ethiopians rob their acquaint-
ances Of their robes, which they coolly
tie about their own waists, thus leaving
the saluted individual half naked in his
presence. The Japanese, more polita,
only take off slipper, and the Arracans
doff their sandals when they salute In
the street, and their stockings when they
meet in the house.
The Chinese possess code of saluta-
tions which is zealously adhered to in
nearly every part of the Flowery King
dom. If two persons meet after long
separation they celebrate the event by
falling on their faces to the earth sevex-
al times in succession. A Chinaman is
apt to indulge in what we would term
putting it on" Ask one how he finds
himself in health, and he is likely to an
swer, VERY well, thanks to your abund-
ant felicity" Chinese etiquette pre-
scribes the use of salutations and compli-
ments with q minuteness that staggers
one who wishes to become perfect In
them. 1t tells where the stranger Is 10
be seated, how many bows he Is to re-
ceive, and when the welcome Is to be
given with the right hand, and when tho
left. The lower class of Chinese respect
these punctilios, and ambassadors must
practice them for forty days before they
can present themselves at court.
1t is to the wild nations, however, that
we go for the curious in salutation.
When two New Zealanders come togeth-
er they go through an outlandish cero-
mony called tangi. They first cover
themselves with mats that envelop tho
whole form, except one eye, squat on tho
ground facing each other and weep CO.
piously. This is carried on for some lit
tie time, when they shorten the distance
between them, and at last press their
noses together, all the time giving utter
ance to expressive grunts. This last per-
formance seems to satisfy New Zealand
etiquette, for the parties then give them
selves up to lively conversation.
Among the people of New Guinea tho
greeting ceremony consists Of pinching.
The person who bestows the welcome
pinches the tip of the others nose with
the finger and thumb of the right hand,
while with the left he pinches the mid
die of his own stomach, muttering over
and over the word "Magasuka." The
reader will see from this that while Pa
puan etiquette is not intricate, the pinch.
ing part is not very desirable.
ROLLING IN THE SAND.
The Batoka people, who live along the
banks of the famed Zambesi, have an odd
method of expressing their feelings in tho
way of welcoming people to their good
graces. The women usually clap their
hands and utter strange sound, and the
men stoop and strike their hips with their
palms. But when the Batoka gentlemen
wish to show off in the way of salutation
they drop on their backs and roll over in
the sand, ,slapping their thighs vigorously,
and crying out, "Kina-bombal Kina-
bomba!" at the top of their lungs. Dr..
Livingstone was diverted by the un-
wonted spectacle of score or moro OF
naked sable giants going through this
singular ceremony, and tried to stop
them; but the more the explorer pro-
tested the heartier grew his reception,
and he had to wait patiently until they
that he had been thoroughly
to Batoka land.
The Nuehr tribe of the Nile country
have mode of salutation peculiarly their
own. When Petherick, the traveller, came
among these people he was accorded the
given to persons of high degree.
The Nuehr chief who entered the travel
,r's tent grasped the white mans hand
md deliberately spat In it. After q mo-
nent of silence lie repeated the process
oetherick's first impulse was to resent the
ndignity by knocking the fellow down,
,ut, restraining his indignation, he re-
urned the compliment with considerable