Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-02-05
MESSAGES OF SAVAGES.
HOW THEY SEND LETTERS
WITHOUT WRITING.
by Means of Cowry Smell, They Arc
Able to Conduct tho Most Elabo-
rate Correspondence-The
knotted strings.

lore the art oil writing was under
stoodP asks the Washington Star.
Some suggestions on the subject can
be got from the methods used 10y
primitive races to-day. For example
in the 1oruba country West Africa.
the natives send messages by means
of shells feathers, peppers corn
stones. coal. razors. powder and shot
and many other things The mean
ing OF each object is known and all of
them together make up a sort of
code" by which intelligence relat-
ing to anything Whatsoever may be
transmitted.
Simply by means OF cowry shells
these savages are able TO conduct the
most elaborate correspondence They
are strung on bits of grass fiber, and
by the manner of their arrangement
may be made to convey the widest
variety OF meanings. One shell signi-
fies defiance, two, strung face to face
mean friendliness; but pair OF cow
ries strung back 10 back ave to be in
terpreted as an expression OF enmity.
Two cowries, with feather fastened
between them, say: Come as quick.
ly as you can fly"
Some years ago white man was
captured in the course Of raid made
by the Amazon warriors OF Dahomey
upon a missionary settlement. A few
weeks later his anxious wife received
from him message, which consisted
simply OF a pebble. a piece of char
coal, a pepper n grain OF parched
corn and a rag There was no diff
Guilty in translating it by the native
code. The pebble said; II am IN
good health, /. e., hard in body; the
piece of charcoal signifed: but my
prospects are very black and gloomy"
the pepper meant Il am very anxious
about the future, lest | be killed or
sold into slavery" the grain OF
parched corn indicated: Il have be-
como very thin. and the scrap OF rag
added: My clothing is in tatters.
A toothbrush, when sent by one
native to another signifies friendship.
African savages have the best teeth in
the world and one reason for this
fact is that they take such excellent
care of them. cleaning them several
times a day. For this purpose they
use a short piece of wood, which be-
comes softened by rubbing in the
mouth. Thus the message of the
! toothbrush is: LAS | remember my
teeth constantly, so often | think Of
you.
Sugar means peace and love; powder
and shot convey notice OF war; a razor
is sent to a murderer by the victims
relatives to notify him that it is ex-
pected he will kill himself for their
satisfaction. Six cowry shells signify
Il love you" Such a string sent by
young man to n girl expresses his
desire to form an engagement of mar
riagc
Among the natives of Australia
notched and carved sticks are used
| for messages. For instance, a piece
of wood carried from one village TO
another, with straight and curved
/ lines cut upon it, means there is q
/ fight on hand; fetch your spears and
boomerangs The North American
Indians have utilized wampum belts
! from time immemorial for like pur-
poses the arrangement of the different
colored beads conveying the signitica-
ton desired. On several occasions
pipes of peace and other symbolic
missives have been received by the
president OF the United States from
various tribes. The Moquis OF New
| Mexico once sent him a small quantity
OF wild honey wrapped in the inner
husk of an ear Of corn. He was re-
quested TO take piece OF the husk
chew it and spit it out upon the ground
in order that the country might have
rain.
1t is recorded in history that when
Darius king of Persia invaded
Scythia, the ruler of the latter coun.
try, Idanthuras, seut him message.
consisting Of mouse, frog. a bird.
an arrow and plow The wisest
men in the army puzzled over the
meaning OF it. which was conjectured
TO be that the empire had surrendered.
1t was supposed that the mouse signi-
fed the dwellings, the frog the waters,
the bird the air, the arrow the arms
and the pillow the land. But it turned
out that the Interpretation intended
was that unless Darius and his soldiers
could fly like birds, burrow like mice
or betake themselves like frogs TO the
water they would never escape the
weapons of the Scythians and make
their way out OF the country.
Knotted strings were employed by the
ancient people Of Peru for messages.
They had no written characters 10 ex-
press single sounds. and so they pu
words together for purposes of com.
! munication and also for records by the
dexterous tying Of knots on cords
To one thick cord they attached sew
eral thinner ones, and on the latter
! the knots were tied. A single kno
J meant ten a double knot 100 and
, triple knot /, 900. The little string
were of different colors so as to repre-
sent various kinds Of things. On on,
: such "quipun all accounts of the arm,
: kept. A red string gave the numbe
: of soldiers with sings a white strinl
the soldiers with spears and a blacl
IL HI