_TENDOY-HUERITO DIALOGUE._
The following conversation took place at Washington in April, 1880,
between TENDOY, chief of the Shoshoni and Banak Indians of Idaho, and
HUERITO, one of the Apache chiefs from New Mexico, in the presence of
Dr. W.J. HOFFMAN. Neither of these Indians spoke any language known
to the other, or had ever met or heard of one another before that
occasion:
[Illustration: Fig. 304.]
_Huerito_.--WHO ARE YOU?
Place the flat and extended right hand, palm forward, about twelve
inches in front of and as high as the shoulder, then shake the hand
from side to side as it is moved forward and upward--_question, who
are you?_ Fig. 304.
[Illustration: Fig. 305.]
_Tendoy_.--SHOSHONI CHIEF.
Place the closed right hand near the right hip leaving the index only
extended, palm down; then pass the hand toward the front and left,
rotating it from side to side--_Shoshoni_, Fig. 305; then place the
closed hand, with the index extended and pointing upward, near the
right cheek, pass it upward as high as the head, then turn it forward
and downward toward the ground, terminating with the movement a little
below the initial point--_chief_. Fig. 306.
_Huerito_.--HOW OLD ARE YOU?
Clinch both hands and cross the forearms before the breast with a
trembling motion--_cold--winter, year_, Fig. 307; then elevate the
left hand as high as the neck and about twelve or fifteen inches
before it, palm toward the face, with fingers extended and pointing
upward; then, with the index, turn down one finger after another
slowly, beginning at the little finger, until three or four are folded
against the palm, and look inquiringly at the person addressed--_how
many_? See Fig. 302.
[Illustration: Fig. 306.]
[Illustration: Fig. 307.]
_Tendoy_.--FIFTY-SIX.
Close and extend the fingers and thumbs of both hands, with the palms
forward, five times--_fifty_; then extend the fingers and thumb of the
left hand, close the right, and place the extended thumb alongside of
and near the left thumb--_six_. Fig. 308.
[Illustration: Fig. 308.]
[Illustration: Fig. 309.]
_Huerito_.--VERY WELL. ARE THERE ANY BUFFALO IN YOUR COUNTRY?
Place the flat right hand, pointing to the left, with the palm down,
against the breast-bone; then move it forward and slightly to the
right and in an upward curve; make the gesture rather slow and nearly
to arm's length (otherwise, i.e., if made hastily and but a short
distance, it would only mean _good_)--_very good_, Fig. 309; place
both closed hands to their respective sides of the head, palms toward
the hair, leaving the forefingers curved--_buffalo_, see Fig. 298,
p. 477; then reach out the fist to arm's length toward the west,
and throw it forcibly toward the ground for a distance of about six
inches, edge downward--_country, away to the west_; then point
the curved index rather quickly and carelessly toward the person
addressed--_your_.
[Illustration: Fig. 310.]
_Tendoy_.--YES; MANY BLACK BUFFALO.
Pass the closed right hand, with the index partly flexed, to a
position about eight inches before the right collar-bone, and, as the
hand reaches that elevation, quickly close the index--_yes_; then make
the same sign as in the preceding question for _buffalo_; touch the
hair on the right side of the head with the palms of the extended
fingers of the right hand--_black_; spread the curved fingers and
thumbs of both hands, place them before either thigh, pointing
downward; then draw them toward one another and upward as high as the
stomach, so that the fingers will point toward one another, or may be
interlaced--_many_. Fig. 310.
[Illustration: Fig. 311.]
_Tendoy_.--DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING FROM THE SECRETARY? IF SO, TELL ME.
Close the right hand, leaving the index and thumb widely separated,
pass it by the ear from the back of the ear downward and toward the
chin, palm toward the head--_hear_, see Fig. 316, p. 492; point to the
individual addressed--_you_; close the hand again, leaving the index
and thumb separated as in the sign for _hear_ and placing the palmar
surface of the finger horizontally across the forehead, pointing to
the left, allow the thumb to rest against the right temple; then draw
the index across the forehead from left to right, leaving the thumb
touching the head--_white man_; then place the closed hand, with
elevated index, before the right side of the neck or in front of
the top of the shoulder; pass the index, pointing upward, as high
as the top of the head; turn it forward and downward as far as the
breast--_chief_; pass the extended index, pointing up ward and
forward, forward from the mouth twice--_talk_; then open and flatten
the hand, palm up, outer edge toward the face, place it about fifteen
inches in front of the chin, and draw it horizontally inward until the
hand nearly touches the neck--_tell me_.
_Huerito_.--HE TOLD ME THAT IN FOUR DAYS I WOULD GO TO MY COUNTRY.
Close the right hand, leaving the index curved; place it about six
inches from the ear and move it in toward the external meatus--_told
me, hear, I heard_, Fig. 311; with the right hand still closed, form a
circle with the index and thumb by allowing their tips to touch; pass
the hand from east to west at arm's length--_day_; place the left hand
before the breast, the fingers extended, and the thumb resting against
the palm, back forward, and, with the index, turn down one finger
after another, beginning at the little finger--_four_; touch the
breast with the tips of the finger and thumb of the left hand
collected to a point--_I_; drop the hand a short distance and move it
forward to arm's length and slightly upward until it points above
the horizon--_go to_*; then as the arm is extended, throw the fist
edgewise toward the ground--_my country_.
[Illustration: Fig. 312.]
[Illustration: Fig. 313.]
_Tendoy_.--IN TWO DAYS I GO TO MY COUNTRY JUST AS YOU GO TO YOURS. I
GO TO MINE WHERE THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF SNOW, AND WE SHALL SEE EACH
OTHER NO MORE.
Place the flat hands horizontally, about two feet apart, move them
quickly in an upward curve toward one another until the right lies
across the left--_night_, Fig. 312, repeat this sign--_two nights_
(literally _two sleeps hence_); point toward the individual addressed
with the right hand--_you_; and in a continuous movement pass the hand
to the right, i.e., toward the south, nearly to arm's length--_go_;
then throw the fist edgewise toward the ground at that distance--_your
country_; then touch the breast with the tips of the fingers of the
left hand--_I_; move the hand off slowly toward the left, i.e., toward
the north to arm's length--_go to_*; and throw the clinched hand
toward the ground--_my country_; then hold both hands toward the left
as high as the head, palms down, with fingers and thumbs pendent and
separated; move them toward the ground two or three times--_rain_,
Fig. 313; then place the flat hands horizontally to the left of the
body about two feet from the ground--_deep_; (literally, _deep rain_)
_snow_--and raise them until about three feet from the ground--_very
deep_--_much_; place the hands before the body about twelve inches
apart, palms down, with forefingers only extended and pointing toward
one another; push them toward and from one another several times--_see
each other_, Fig. 314; then hold the flat right hand in front of the
breast, pointing forward, palm to the left, and throw it over on its
back toward the right--_not, no more_.
[Illustration: Fig. 314.]
EXPLANATORY NOTE.--Where the asterisks appear in the above dialogue
the preposition _to_ is included in the gesture. After touching the
breast for _I_, the slow movement forward signifies _going to_, and
_country_ is signified by locating it at arm's length toward the west,
to the left of the gesturer, as the stopping-place, also _possession_
by the clinched fist being directed toward the ground. It is the
same as for _my_ or _mine_, though made before the body in the
latter signs. The direction of Tendoy's hands, first to the south and
afterwards to the north, was understood not as pointing to the exact
locality of the two parts of the country, but to the difference in
their respective climates.
_OMAHA COLLOQUY._
The following is contributed by Rev. J. OWEN DORSEY:
_Question_. FROM WHAT QUARTER IS THE WIND?
Raise the curved right hand, palm in, in front of the left shoulder.
Draw in toward the body a little, then from the body several times in
different directions.
_Answer_. FROM THAT QUARTER.
Hand as above; draw in towards the body _once_, and _farther_ with
_emphasis_, according to the direction of the wind.
_BRULE DAKOTA COLLOQUY._
The following signs, forming a question and answer, were obtained by
Dr. W.J. HOFFMAN, from Ta-ta[n]-ka Wa-ka[n] (Medicine Bull), a Brule
Dakota chief who visited Washington during the winter of 1880-'81:
_Question_. WE WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT [OF THE INTERIOR], SHOOK HANDS
WITH THE SECRETARY AND HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM, DID YOU HEAR OF
IT?
[Illustration: Fig. 315.]
(1) Extend and separate the thumb and index, leaving the remaining
fingers closed, place the ball of the thumb against the temple above
the outer corner of the eye, and the index across the forehead, the
tip resting on the left temple, then draw the index across to the
right until its tip touches the thumb--_white man_, Fig. 315; (2)
Elevate the extended index before the shoulder, palm forward, pass it
upward, as high as the head, and forming a short curve to the front,
then downward again slightly to the front to before the breast and
about fifteen inches from it--_chief_; (3) Fingers of both hands
extended and separated; then interlace them so that the tips of the
fingers of one hand protrude beyond the backs of those of the opposing
one; hold the hands in front of the breast, pointing upward, leaving
the wrists about six inches apart--_lodge_; (4) Place the left hand
a short distance before the breast, palm down and slightly arched,
fingers directed toward the right and front, then pass the flat and
extended right hand forward, under and beyond the left, forming
a downward curve, the right hand being as high as the left at the
commencement and termination of the gesture--_enter, entered_;
(5) Clasp the hands before the body, left uppermost--_shook hands,
friendly_; (6) Place the flat right hand before the chin, palm up
with fingers directed to the left, then pass the hand forward several
times--_talk, talked to him_; (7) Reverse this motion, beginning
away from the body, drawing the hand edgewise toward the chin several
times--_talked to me_; (8) Separate the extended thumb and index as
far as possible, leaving the remaining fingers closed, place the hand
about six inches opposite the right ear, palm toward the head, then
pass it in a curve forward and downward, terminating at the height of
the elbow--_hear, heard_; (9) then in a continuous movement direct the
extended index at the individual addressed, the face expressing a look
of inquiry--_you_.