The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-16
QUEER sALuTATioNs.
Shoes or and Cap On Show u Turks Rs.
Spcct.

the proper mode of salutingl his superior
officer was to put the tip of his thumb
to his nose and extend the fingcrs,
would have found among the native
races of Africa and Asia not IL few sal
utations quite as remarlla BILE as this.
a Turk or II Hindoo will show his re-
spect for you by coming into your pres
ence with his shoes off and his cap OH,
to uncover his head in your drawing
room being, according to his ideas, an
act Of the grOsscSt and most un warrant
able familiarity.
When among the Chinese settlers on
the tobacco plantations in the island of
Sumatra | discovered for the first time
that the correct way of saluting John"
is to shake. not his hand, but your own;
and was frequently amused with the
sight of two men shaking their own
hand with the utmost warmth and
cordially, instead of that of their
neighbour.
In the Maldive isles of the Indian
ocean, should your first visit to the old
Sultan of Twelve Thousand Islands"
find him in the middle of meal las it
probably will, for he does little else but
eat all day long he will show his ap-
probation of you, if you are so fortu-
nate as to please him, by squeezing ND
into Il ball handful of his boiled rice,
and thrusting it into your mouth with
fingers that look rs if they had not
been washed for a month, this being
the most flattering form of compli-
mentary welcome which he can give to
any guest
Everyone is now familiar with the
traditional salutation of the Pacific is
landcrs, which consists in rubbing ones
nose with great energy against that of
ones friend, in way decidedly sug-
gestive of n COW scratching its head
against post.
somewhat similar form of greeting
is practiced by the Kirghiz of Central
Asia, who take your hand in both their
own and press it to their forehead, or
rather to the place where their fore
head ought to be if they had any.
Zulu chief, when you enter his
howell, remains silent for some moments
and seems quite unconscious of your
presence. At length he says in tone
of grave dignity: "Gc salxu bona" Ct
see YOU, to which you reply in the
same way. The longer he takes to "scc
you, the greater man you are supposed
to be; and until you are thus ''seen,"
you must keep silent, and appear as
much as pos sible not to be there ut all.
Among some of the Malay tribes any
man who may suddenly meet relative
or intimate friend greets him by snuff
ing all around MIN, very much as a big
house dog might do with a strange Wis
itor.
N SInrr,
lowers approach you creeping on all
tours, and have even seen Il Snmesc
crawl into his masters presence with n
well-hllcd tea tray in one hand, while
pooling" himself along the floor with
the other.
In Bollhara and other parts of Turk
lstan where native usagcs still prevail,
the customary salutation is: MAY Won
live one hundred and twenty years.
In some parts of iceland it is still
usual for guest, when taking leave of
his entertainers, to shake hands with
every man and kiss every woman be-
longing to the place, whether old or
young.
The Russians of the old school still
preserve the ancient Slavonian custom.
which makes it binding upon every
guest at a dinner party, on rising from
table, to go and kiss the hand of his
hostess, she kissing his forehead in re-
turn; and have myself seen the white
hand of one of the most beautiful wom-
en- in st. Petersburg literally covered
with streals of soup from half dozen
pairs of greasy mustachcs in success
sion.
With the wild races along the north
ern border of Persia, the customary
greeting is 'Amaun ust?" lis it peace?)
IL significant proof of the insecurity en-
gcndered. by ages of war and outrage.
The usual answer is ''Insh Allah amaun
ust" (please God it is peace). but each
party generally keeps his hand on his
weapon till a better understanding has
been arrived at.
The warlike Montenegrins say in q
more chivalric spirit, when they meet a
traveller" Dobra fotretchan' Ga good
meeting).
But of all these strange modes of sal
ntation, the most extraordinary is the
dance of ceremony current in the
west African kingdom of Dahomey.
Whenever any Dahoman chief or Off
cial of rank comes to pay you Il visit, he
always opens the interview by dancing
around you with various quces contor-
tions Extremely suggestive of his hay
ing just upset kettle of boiling water
over his knees, which you are bound to
initiate as closely rs possible.
1t is even reported-with what truth
can not say-that one of the ministers
Of the terrible King Gezu owed his
rapid rise at the Dahoman court wholly
to his superior skill in cutting these