The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-29
TALKING BIZ THE Sun.
Signs and Flashes Used BY In
dams.
THE CODE or THE EsouiMAux.
eimpls huG Eaees1ve Methods ssed BY
Aborsgises - Csmnusieats fssa
. Distance


standing UPON the Top o. ROCKY nsii
about two days journey inland from ths
north shore Of Hudson's bay. We had
be<n looking for reindeer, but had seer
none. Already we had walked long dis
tance and crossed many hills en- route, fol
II In the custom with the Esqnimaux, D
with the Indians. 10 60 over the top ol
q hill rather than around 1t. Tkis
il not only 70 hare enc lookout from 81
elevation, but because IL Ii impossible 70
convince 3 savage that IL IL not the shorter
route. II was about noon. and We were
tired. 50 we stopped 70 rest few minutes
and TO smoke pipe. We had not been Ia
the enjoyment Of thess Injuries long before
l heard the faint sound Of a human voice
horne upon the still wind THAI was blowing
from the northward.
/ called the attention OF my companions
70 this sound. and brushing their long
black locks from over their ears. they threw
themselves down in the lee OF great rock
and listened. They. too heard the voice,
and said the person calling was 80 far OF!
that they could not understand what he
said. In the meantime l swept the crest OF
. range Of hills in the direction OF the voice
with my field glass, and finally made out
the figure OF some one who was waving
what looked like a huge piece OF cloth. |
passed the glass TO sebeeucktalee. one of
my guides. and be at once recognized a
hunter named Alnktay, and said he sig
nailed IA To come over where he was: that
there were reindeer there.
The hills did not appear far of. but ii
was full hour before We reached the man
who had signaied us to come He then
safxi tf<a ri
beyond that line of hill. and that his tent
aud that Of two other hunters were pitched
within easy reach OF the hunting grounds.
lie gave my two friends some raw venison,
and to fne. as an especial favor. nice raw
tongue, from which he first, very politely.
bit OF the hard outside skin
1t was the first raw meat | had eaten:
but. having tasted since the previous noon,
] had too keen an appetite to be particular
about trifies. During this little luncheon
Aluktay told OF the quantity OF reindeer
near his camp and invited us to go over
there with him. Ii Was nearly dark when
we reached the camp and during the walk
had ample time 10 wonder how he had
succeeded in informing my companions
that there were reindeer around when too
far away 10 be'heari.
| could understand that he might beckon
TO them 10 come 10 him. but the more |
thought about IL the more | was puzzled
over the method of communicating the
fact OF there being good hunting grounds
where be was.
The following dav my guides. Sebeeuck-
tales and koomana. went back to bring
their tent and the old folks up to the new
camp. and | went out TO hunt with AUX
tay. During that day he explained to me
the Esquimau signal code. found il very
Interesting at the time, and later on its use
fulness was demonstrated almost daily
during my residence with these people.
Aluktay described TO me that when an
Esquiman wished to talk with those
ut a distance he would take a posi-
ton on an eminence where his body
could be plainly seen against the
sky or covered hillside. With his
body placed so as TO directly face those with
whom he wishes to communicate, he ex-
tends hts right arm and moves 1T Up and
down like pump handle. This signal
means Gene here" When so far away
that the motion Of the arm can not be dis
tinctly seen. be would take of his coat, and
using that ~ a flag, make the same motion
IL was with his coat that he made the
signal when communicating with us the
previous day. III after this he moved his left
arm or the coat in 4 similar manner. but
on the left side. he meant Bring dogs"
Then by pointing both arms nearly
straight up from the shoulder, as rude
symhol of the anilers of a reindeer. he
would indicate that he had killed reindeer
and the number of times the arms
were raised would denote the number
killed. 50 that his friends would know how
many dogs TO bring. The reply to the
message Is made by the receiver turning
his right side toward the sender and BEND
ing his body forward. making a right angle
nj the waist. which would mean yes: !" in
the opposite direction would mean no"
or that there was no one TO send. or that
there we're no dogs around.
Once, when on sleige journey from
Marble island, Hudson's bay. to Denot
island, about tso miles tn the north. | was
three or four days behind Lieut. Schwatka.
who was in charge Of another party of our
native allies, One day we came upou fonr
blocks of snow placed upon each other
sd rs to make wide nillsr
and upon this were set the
head and anters of reindeer
This was interpreted to me by my guides
a. showing that Toolooah, Schwatsa's
huater, had killed tour reindeer there
three days before. The number of blocks
indicated the number Killed. and the mum.
Der at days was apparen; to my people hy
tie condition of the snow They knew
IL was Toolooah by the way the hlocks were
cut. could have learned very easily how
IN reed the symbol that four reindeer had
eeen Killed by somebody, bat IL would take
vast amount Of experience To know by
whom and the time that had elapsed.
These savagcs can tell anmissskablv and
SO. too, do they know from the condition
a. 10 the frost the length of the tine the
snow has been cut By touching the tracks
OF the people or wild animals they can tell
when they passed tha, way almost 90 an
boar II tae tracks have been made within
day or two.
Toe Indians Of re great western pla!ns
have now system hardly exceeded in eff.
cheney ey The military eeae of the civilized
World. Ter many years their oaly means
Of communicating at distance was hv
signal hires upon the asliteps st night and
= columns Of smoke during the aay.
They have method. rot well known Ia
sassse outside the native tribes. az covering
hre untA sufficient quantity OF
smoke has hsSa accumulated. when IL viii
sasdeniy burst forth into a column ol
thsek, heavy smoke that cannot fail 10
assFses stsentios. even NJ great distance.
These signal aFes and smoke signals are
stu ~ use anons them, bar obey have be-
sides . oasis Of signals that Is sslexrspAea
sFesa T<sani q passt ~ sun flashes made
wssh a small mirror
Their essse Is nos known bsyonss shesr
GYM ranks. issrther than thai ID i nos =
system Of words. hat that certain flashes
OF longer or shorter duration. o- thai Vi.
hsatsens iniernsgneiesi with steady ravs.
signify conditions or evsais that stwss pre-
Fseasls arranged taev shealss indicate.
i D.. fftzfsan E1ftss.-afsh Il tbs. sr.ali -,.,.a