1. A list prepared by WILLIAM DUNBAR, dated Natchez, June 30, 1800,
collected from tribes then "west of the Mississippi," but probably not
from those very far west of that river, published in the _Transactions
of the American Philosophical Society_, vol. vi, pp. 1-8, as read
January 16, 1801, and communicated by Thomas Jefferson, president of
the society.
2. The one published in _An Account of an Expedition from
Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, performed in the years 1819-1820,
Philadelphia_, 1823, vol. i, pp. 378-394. This expedition was made by
order of the Hon. J.O. Calhoun, Secretary of War, under the command of
Maj. S.H. LONG, of the United States Topographical Engineers, and is
commonly called James' Long's Expedition. This list appears to have
been collected chiefly by Mr. T. Say, from the Pani, and the Kansas,
Otos, Missouris, Iowas, Omahas, and other southern branches of the
great Dakota family.
3. The one collected by Prince MAXIMILIAN VON WIED-NEUWIED in _Reise
in das Innere Nord-America in den Jahren 1832 bis 1834_. _Coblenz_,
1839 [--1841], vol. ii, pp. 645-653. His statement is, "the Arikaras,
Mandans, Minnitarris [Hidatsa], Crows [Absaroka], Cheyennes, Snakes
[Shoshoni], and Blackfeet [Satsika] all understand certain signs,
which, on the contrary, as we are told, are unintelligible to the
Dakotas, Assiniboins, Ojibwas, Krihs [Crees], and other nations. The
list gives examples of the sign language of the former." From the
much greater proportion of time spent and information obtained by the
author among the Mandans and Hidatsa then and now dwelling near Port
Berthold, on the Upper Missouri, it might be safe to consider that all
the signs in his list were in fact procured from those tribes. But as
the author does not say so, he is not made to say so in this work. If
it shall prove that the signs now used by the Mandans and Hidatsa more
closely resemble those on his list than do those of other tribes, the
internal evidence will be verified. This list is not published in
the English edition, _London_, 1843, but appears in the German, above
cited, and in the French, _Paris_, 1840. Bibliographic reference is
often made to this distinguished explorer as "Prince Maximilian," as
if there were but one possessor of that Christian name among princely
families. For brevity the reference in this paper will be _Wied_.
No translation of this list into English appears to have been printed
in any shape before that recently published by the present writer
in the _American Antiquarian_, vol. ii, No. 3, while the German and
French editions are costly and difficult of access, so the collection
cannot readily be compared by readers with the signs now made by the
same tribes. The translation, now presented is based upon the German
original, but in a few cases where the language was so curt as not
to give a clear idea, was collated with the French edition of the
succeeding year, which, from some internal evidence, appears to have
been published with the assistance or supervision of the author. Many
of the descriptions are, however, so brief and indefinite in both
their German and French forms that they necessarily remain so in
the present translation. The princely explorer, with the keen
discrimination shown in all his work, doubtless observed what has
escaped many recent reporters of Indian signs, that the latter depend
much more upon motion than mere position, and are generally large and
free, seldom minute. His object was to express the general effect of
the motion rather than to describe it with such precision as to allow
of its accurate reproduction by a reader who had never seen it. To
have presented the signs as now desired for comparison, toilsome
elaboration would have been necessary, and even that would not in all
cases have sufficed without pictorial illustration.
On account of the manifest importance of determining the prevalence
and persistence of the signs as observed half a century ago, an
exception is made to the general arrangement hereafter mentioned by
introducing after the _Wied_ signs remarks of collaborators who have
made special comparisons, and adding to the latter the respective
names of those collaborators--as, (_Matthews_), (_Boteler_). It is
hoped that the work of those gentlemen will be imitated, not only
regarding the _Wied_, signs, but many others.
4. The signs given to publication by Capt. R.F. BURTON, which, it
would be inferred, were collected in 1860-'61, from the tribes met or
learned of on the overland stage route, including Southern Dakotas,
Utes, Shoshoni, Arapahos, Crows, Pani, and Apaches. They are contained
in _The City of the Saints_, _New York_, 1862, pp. 123-130.
Information has been recently received to the effect that this
collection was not made by the distinguished English explorer from
his personal observation, but was obtained by him from one man in Salt
Lake City, a Mormon bishop, who, it is feared, gave his own ideas of
the formation and use of signs rather than their faithful description.
5. A list read by Dr. D.G. MACGOWAN, at a meeting of the American
Ethnological Society, January 23, 1866, and published in the
_Historical Magazine_, vol. x, 1866, pp. 86, 87, purporting to be the
signs of the Caddos, Wichitas, and Comanches.
6. Annotations by Lieut. HEBER M. CREEL, Seventh United States
Cavalry, received in January, 1881. This officer is supposed to
be specially familiar with the Cheyennes, among whom he lived for
eighteen months; but his recollection is that most of the signs
described by him were also observed among the Arapaho, Sioux, and
several other tribes.
7. A special contribution from Mr. F.F. GERARD, of Fort A. Lincoln,
D.T., of signs obtained chiefly from a deaf-mute Dakota, who has
traveled among most of the Indian tribes living between the Missouri
River and the Rocky Mountains. Mr. Gerard's own observations are based
upon the experience of thirty-two years' residence in that country,
during which long period he has had almost daily intercourse with
Indians. He states that the signs contributed by him are used by the
Blackfeet, (Satsika), Absaroka, Dakota, Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara
Indians, who may in general be considered to be the group of tribes
referred to by the Prince of Wied.
In the above noted collections the generality of the statements as
to locality of the observation and use of the signs rendered it
impossible to arrange them in the manner considered to be the best to
study the diversities and agreements of signs. For that purpose it is
more convenient that the names of the tribe or tribes among which the
described signs have been observed should catch the eye in immediate
connection with them than that those of the observers only should
follow. Some of the latter indeed have given both similar and
different signs for more than one tribe, so that the use of the
contributor's name alone would create confusion. To print in every
case the name of the contributor, together with the name of the tribe,
would seriously burden the paper and be unnecessary to the student,
the reference being readily made to each authority through this LIST
which also serves as an index. The seven collections above mentioned
will therefore be referred to by the names of the authorities
responsible for them. Those which now follow are arranged
alphabetically by tribes, under headings of Linguistic Families
according to Major J.W. POWELL's classification, which are also given
below in alphabetic order. Example: The first authority is under the
heading ALGONKIAN, and, concerning only the Abnaki tribe, is referred
to as (_Abnaki_ I), Chief MASTA being the personal authority.
_ALGONKIAN._
_Abnaki_ I. A letter dated December 15, 1879, from H.L. MASTA, chief
of the Abnaki, residing near Pierreville, Quebec.
_Arapaho_ I. A contribution from Lieut. H.B. LEMLY, Third United
States Artillery, compiled from notes and observations taken by him in
1877, among the Northern Arapahos.
_Arapaho_ II. A list of signs obtained from O-QO-HIS'-SA (the Mare,
better known as Little Raven) and NA'-WATC (Left Hand), members of a
delegation of Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians, from Darlington, Ind. T.,
who visited Washington during the summer of 1880.
_Cheyenne_ I. Extracts from the _Report of Lieut. J.W. ABERT, of his
Examination of New Mexico in the years 1846-'47_, in Ex. Doc. No. 41,
Thirtieth Congress, first session, Washington, 1848, p. 417, _et seq._
_Cheyenne_ II. A list prepared in July, 1879, by Mr. FRANK H. CUSHING,
of the Smithsonian Institution, from continued interviews with
TITC-KE-MA'-TSKI (Cross-Eyes), an intelligent Cheyenne, then employed
at that Institution.
_Cheyenne_ III. A special contribution with diagrams from Mr. BEN
CLARK, scout and interpreter, of signs collected from the Cheyennes
during his long residence among that tribe.
_Cheyenne_ IV. Several communications from Col. RICHARD I. DODGE,
A.D.C., United States Army, author of _The Plains of the Great West
and their Inhabitants_, _New York_, 1877, relating to his large
experience with the Indians of the prairies.
_Cheyenne_ V. A list of signs obtained from WA-U[n]' (Bob-tail) and
MO-HI'NUK-MA-HA'-IT (Big Horse), members of a delegation of Arapaho
and Cheyenne Indians from Darlington, Ind. T., who visited Washington
during the summer of 1880.
_Ojibwa_ I. The small collection of J.G. KOHL, made about the middle
of the present century, among the Ojibwas around Lake Superior.
Published in his _Kitchigami. Wanderings Around Lake Superior,
London_, 1860.
_Ojibwa_ II. Several letters from the Very Rev. EDWARD JACKER, Pointe
St. Ignace, Mich., respecting the Ojibwas.
_Ojibwa_ III. A communication from Rev. JAMES A. GILFILLAN, White
Earth, Minn., relating to signs observed among the Ojibwas during his
long period of missionary duty, still continuing.
_Ojibwa_ IV. A list from Mr. B.O. WILLIAMS, Sr., of Owosso, Mich.,
from recollection of signs observed among the Ojibwas of Michigan
sixty years ago.
_Ojibwa_ V. Contributions received in 1880 and 1881 from Mr. F.
JACKER, of Portage River, Houghton County, Michigan, who has resided
many years among and near the tribe mentioned.
_Sac, Fox, and Kickapoo_ I. A list from Rev. H.F. BUCKNER, D.D., of
Eufaula, Ind. T., consisting chiefly of tribal signs observed by him
among the Sac and Fox, Kickapoos, &c., during the early part of the
year 1880.
_DAKOTAN._
_Absaroka_ I. A list of signs obtained from DE-E'-KI-TCIS (Pretty
Eagle), E-TCI-DI-KA-H[)A]TC'-KI (Long Elk), and PE-RI'-TCI-KA'-DI-A
(Old Crow), members of a delegation of Absaroka or Crow Indians from
Montana Territory, who visited Washington during the months of April
and May, 1880.
_Dakota_ I. A comprehensive list, arranged with great care and skill,
from Dr. CHARLES E. MCCHESNEY, acting assistant surgeon, United States
Army, of signs collected among the Dakotas (Sioux) near Fort Bennett,
Dakota, during the year 1880. Dr. McChesney requests that recognition
should be made of the valuable assistance rendered to him by Mr.
WILLIAM FIELDEN, the interpreter at Cheyenne Agency, Dakota Territory.
_Dakota_ II. A short list from Dr. BLAIR D. TAYLOR, assistant surgeon,
United States Army, from recollection of signs observed among the
Sioux during his late service in the region inhabited by that tribe.
_Dakota_ III. A special contribution from Capt. A.W. CORLISS, Eighth
United States Infantry, of signs observed by him during his late
service among the Sioux.
_Dakota_ IV. A copious contribution with diagrams from Dr. WILLIAM H.
CORBUSIER, assistant surgeon, United States Army, of signs obtained
from the Ogalala Sioux at Pine Ridge Agency, Dakota Territory, during
1879-'80.
_Dakota_ V. A report of Dr. W.J. HOFFMAN, from observations among the
Teton Dakotas while acting assistant surgeon, United States Army, and
stationed at Grand River Agency, Dakota, during 1872-'73.
_Dakota_ VI. A list of signs obtained from PE-ZHI' (Grass), chief of
the Blackfoot Sioux; NA-ZU'-LA-TA[n]-KA (Big Head), chief of the Upper
Yanktonais; and CE-TA[n]-KI[n]-YA[n] (Thunder Hawk), chief of the
Uncpapas, Teton Dakotas, located at Standing Rock, Dakota Territory,
while at Washington in June, 1880.
_Dakota_ VII. A list of signs obtained from SHUN-KU LU-TA (Red Dog),
an Ogalala chief from the Red Cloud Agency, who visited Washington in
company with a large delegation of Dakotas in June, 1880.
_Dakota_ VIII. A special list obtained from TA-TA[n]KA WA-KA[n]
(Medicine Bull), and other members of a delegation of Lower Brule
Dakotas, while at Washington during the winter of 1880-'81.
_Hidatsa_ I. A list of signs obtained from TCE-CAQ'-A-DAQ-A-QIC
(Lean Wolf), chief of the Hidatsa, located at Fort Berthold, Dakota
Territory, while at Washington with a delegation of Sioux Indians, in
June, 1880.
_Mandan and Hidatsa_ I. A valuable and illustrated contribution from
Dr. WASHINGTON MATTHEWS, assistant surgeon, United States Army, author
of _Ethnography and Philology of the Hidatsa Indians, Washington_,
1877, &c., lately prepared from his notes and recollections of signs
observed during his long service among the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians
of the Upper Missouri.
_Omaha_ I. A special list from Rev. J. OWEN DORSEY, lately missionary
at Omaha Agency, Nebraska, from observations made by him at that
agency in 1880.
_Oto_ I. An elaborate list, with diagrams, from Dr. W.G. BOTELER,
United States Indian service, collected from the Otos at the Oto
Agency, Nebraska, during 1879-'80.
_Oto and Missouri_ I. A similar contribution by the same authority
respecting the signs of the Otos and Missouris, of Nebraska, collected
during the winter of 1879-'80, in the description of many of which he
was joined by Miss KATIE BARNES.
_Ponka_ I. A short list from Rev. J. OWEN DORSEY, obtained by him in
1880 from the Ponkas in Nebraska.
_Ponka_ II. A short list obtained at Washington from KHI-DHA-SK[)A],
(White Eagle), and other chiefs, a delegation from Kansas in January,
1881.
_IROQUOIAN._
_Iroquois_ I. A list of signs contributed by the Hon. HORATIO HALE,
author of "Philology" of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, &c., now
residing at Clinton, Ontario, Canada, obtained in June, 1880, from
SAKAYENKWARATON (Disappearing Mist), familiarly known as John Smoke
Johnson, chief of the Canadian division of the Six Nations, or
Iroquois proper, now a very aged man, residing at Brantford, Canada.
_Wyandot_ I. A list of signs from HEN'-TO (Gray Eyes), chief of the
Wyandots, who visited Washington during the spring of 1880, in the
interest of that tribe, now dwelling in Indian Territory.
_KAIOWAN._
_Kaiowa_ I. A list of signs from SITTIMGEA (Stumbling Bear), a Kaiowa
chief from Indian Territory, who visited Washington in June, 1880.
_KUTINEAN._
_Kutine_ I. A letter from J.W. POWELL, Esq., Indian superintendent,
British Columbia, relating to his observations among the Kutine and
others.
_PANIAN._
_Arikara_ I. A list of signs obtained from KUA-NUQ'-KNA-UI'-UQ (Son
of the Star), chief of the Arikaras, residing at Fort Berthold, Dakota
Territory, while at Washington with a delegation of Indians, in June,
1880.
_Pani_ I. A short list obtained from "ESAU," a Pani Indian, acting as
interpreter to the Ponka delegation at Washington, in January, 1881.
_PIMAN._
_Pima and Papago_ I. A special contribution obtained from ANTONITO,
son of the chief of the Pima Indians in Arizona Territory, while on a
visit to Washington in February, 1881.
_SAHAPTIAN._
_Sahaptian_ I. A list contributed by Rev. G.L. DEFFENBAUGH, of Lapwai,
Idaho, giving signs obtained at Kamiah, Idaho, chiefly from FELIX,
chief of the Nez Perces, and used by the Sahaptin or Nez Perces.
_SHOSHONIAN._
_Comanche_ I. Notes from Rev. A.J. HOLT, Denison, Texas, respecting,
the Comanche signs, obtained at Anadarko, Indian Territory.
_Comanche_ II. Information obtained at Washington, in February, 1880,
from Maj. J.M. HAWORTH, Indian inspector, relating to signs used by
the Comanches of Indian Territory.
_Comanche_ III. A list of signs obtained from KOBI (Wild Horse), a
Comanche chief from Indian Territory, who visited Washington in June,
1880.
_Pai-Ute_ I. Information obtained at Washington from NA'TOI, a Pai-Ute
chief, who was one of a delegation of that tribe to Washington in
January, 1880.
_Shoshoni and Banak_ I. A list of signs obtained from TENDOY (The
Climber), TISIDIMIT, PETE, and WI'AGAT, members of a delegation of
Shoshoni and Banak chiefs from Idaho, who visited Washington during
the months of April and May, 1880.
_Ute_ I. A list of signs obtained from ALEJANDRE, GA-LO-TE, AUGUSTIN,
and other chiefs, members of a delegation of Ute Indians of Colorado,
who visited Washington during the early months of the year 1880.
_TINNEAN._
_Apache_ I. A list of signs obtained from HUERITO (Little Blonde),
AGUSTIN VIJEL, and SANTIAGO LARGO (James Long), members of a
delegation of Apache chief from Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, who were
brought to Washington in the months of March and April, 1880.
_Apache_ II. A list of signs obtained from NA'-KA'-NA'-NI-TEN (White
Man), an Apache chief from Indian Territory, who visited Washington in
June, 1880.
_Apache_ III. A large collection made during the summer of 1880, by
Dr. FRANCIS H. ATKINS, acting assistant surgeon, United States Army,
from the Mescalero Apaches, near South Fork, N. Mex.
_Kutchin_ I. A communication, received in 1881, from Mr. IVAN PETROFF,
special agent United States census, transmitting a dialogue, taken
down by himself in 1866, between the Kenaitze Indians on the lower
Kinnik River, in Alaska, and some natives of the interior who called
themselves _Tennanah_ or _Mountain-River-Men_, belonging to the Tinne
Kutchin tribe.
_WICHITAN._
_Wichita_ I. A list of signs from Rev. A.J. HOLT, missionary, obtained
from KIN-CH[=E]-[)E]SS (Spectacles), medicine-man of the Wichitas, at
the Wichita Agency, Indian Territory, in 1879.
_Wichita_ II. A list of signs from TSODIAKO (Shaved Head Boy), a
Wichita chief, from Indian Territory, who visited Washington in June,
1880.
_ZU[=N]IAN._
_Zu[=n]i_ I. Some preliminary notes received in 1880 from Rev. TAYLOR
F. EALY, missionary among the Zu[=n]i, upon the signs of that body of
Indians.
_FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE._
Valuable contributions have been received in 1880-'81 and collated
under their proper headings, from the following correspondents in
distant countries:
Rev. HERMAN N. BARNUM, D.D., of Harpoot, Turkey, furnishes a list of
signs in common use among Turks, Armenians, and Koords in that region.
Miss L.O. LLOYD, Charleton House, Mowbray, near Cape Town, Africa,
gives information concerning the gestures and signals of the Bushmen.
Rev. LORIMER FISON, Navuloa, Fiji, notes in letters comparisons
between the signs and gestures of the Fijians and those of the
North American Indians. As this paper is passing through the press
a _Collection_ is returned with annotations by him and also by Mr.
WALTER CAREW, Commissioner for the Interior of Navitilevu. The
last named gentleman describes some signs of a Fijian uninstructed
deaf-mute.
Mr. F.A. VON RUPPRECHT, Kepahiang, Sumatra, supplies information
and comparisons respecting the signs and signals of the Redjangs and
Lelongs, showing agreement with some Dakota, Comanche, and Ojibwa
signs.
Letters from Mr. A.W. HOWITT, F.G.S., Sale, Gippsland, Victoria, upon
Australian signs, and from Rev. JAMES SIBREE, jr., F.R.G.S., relative
to the tribes of Madagascar, are gratefully acknowledged.
Many other correspondents are now, according to their kind promises,
engaged in researches, the result of which have not yet been received.
The organization of those researches in India and Ceylon has been
accomplished through the active interest of Col. H.S. OLCOTT, U.S.
Commissioner, Breach Candy, Bombay.
* * * * *
Grateful acknowledgment must be made to Prof. E.A. FAY, of the
National Deaf Mute College, through whose special attention a large
number of the natural signs of deaf-mutes, remembered by them as
having been invented and used before instruction in conventional
signs, indeed before attending any school, was obtained. The gentlemen
who made the contributions in their own MS., and without prompting,
are as follows: Messrs. M. BALLARD, R.M. ZIEGLER, J. CROSS, PHILIP
J. HASENSTAB, and LARS LARSON. Their names respectively follow their
several descriptions. Mr. BALLARD is an instructor in the college, and
the other gentlemen were pupils during the session of 1880.
Similar thanks are due to Mr. J.L. NOYES, superintendent of the
Minnesota Institution for the education of the Deaf and Dumb,
Faribault, Minn., and to Messrs. GEORGE WING and D.H. CARROLL,
teachers in that institution, for annotations and suggestions
respecting deaf-mute signs. The notes made by the last named gentlemen
are followed by their respective names in reference.
* * * * *
Special thanks are also rendered to Prof. JAMES D. BUTLER, of Madison,
Wis., for contribution of Italian gesture-signs, noted by him in 1843,
and for many useful suggestions.
* * * * *
Other Italian signs are quoted from the Essay on Italian
gesticulations by his eminence Cardinal WISEMAN, in his _Essays
on Various Subjects, London_, 1855, Vol. III, pp. 533-555. Many
Neapolitan signs are extracted from the illustrated work of the canon
ANDREA DE JORIO, _La Mimica degli Antichi investigata nel gestire
Napoletano_, _Napoli_, 1832.
* * * * *
A small collection of Australian signs has been extracted from R.
BROUGH SMYTH's _The Aborigines of Victoria_, _London_, 1878.