When a removal of camp has been made, after the signal for ATTENTION
has been given, and the party have selected a place where they propose
to remain until there may be a necessity or desire for their removal,
two columns of smoke are made, to inform their friends that they
propose to remain at that place. Two columns are also made at other
times during a long continued residence, to inform the neighboring
bands that a camp still exists, and that all is favorable and quiet.
_FOREIGN SMOKE SIGNALS._
The following examples of smoke signals in foreign lands are added for
comparison.
Miss Haigh, speaking of the Guanches of the Canary Islands at the time
of the Spanish conquest, says: "When an enemy approached, they alarmed
the country by raising a thick smoke or by whistling, which was
repeated from one to another. This latter method is still in use among
the people of Teneriffe, and may be heard at an almost incredible
distance." (_Trans. Eth. Soc. Lond. vii_, 1869, sec. ser., pp. 109,
110.)
"The natives have an easy method of telegraphing news to their distant
friends. When Sir Thomas Mitchell was traveling through Eastern
Australia he often saw columns of smoke ascending through the trees
in the forests, and he soon learned that the natives used the smoke
of fires for the purpose of making known his movements to their
friends. Near Mount Frazer he observed a dense column of smoke, and
subsequently other smokes arose, extending in a telegraphic line far
to the south, along the base of the mountains, and thus communicating
to the natives who might be upon his route homeward the tidings of his
return.
"When Sir Thomas reached Portland Bay he noticed that when a whale
appeared in the bay the natives were accustomed to send up a column of
smoke, thus giving timely intimation to all the whalers. If the whale
should be pursued by one boat's crew only it might be taken; but if
pursued by several, it would probably be run ashore and become food
for the blacks." (Smyth, _loc. cit._, vol. 1, pp. 152, 153, quoting
Maj. T.L. Mitchell's _Eastern Australia_, vol. ii, p. 241.)
Jardine, writing of the natives of Cape York, says that a
"communication between the islanders and the natives of the mainland
is frequent; and the rapid manner in which news is carried from tribe
to tribe, to great distances, is astonishing. I was informed of the
approach of Her Majesty's Steamer Salamander, on her last visit, two
days before her arrival here. Intelligence is conveyed by means of
fires made to throw up smoke in different forms, and by messengers who
perform long and rapid journeys." (Smyth, _loc. cit._, vol. 1, p. 153,
quoting from _Overland Expedition_, p. 85.)
Messengers in all parts of Australia appear to have used this mode of
signaling. In Victoria, when traveling through the forests, they were
accustomed to raise smoke by filling the hollow of a tree with green
boughs and setting fire to the trunk at its base; and in this way,
as they always selected an elevated position for the fire when they
could, their movements were made known.
When engaged in hunting, when traveling on secret expeditions, when
approaching an encampment, when threatened with danger, or when foes
menaced their friends, the natives made signals by raising a smoke.
And their fires were lighted in such a way as to give forth signals
that would be understood by people of their own tribe and by friendly
tribes. They exhibited great ability in managing their system of
telegraphy; and in former times it was not seldom used to the injury
of the white settlers, who at first had no idea that the thin column
of smoke rising through the foliage of the adjacent bush, and raised
perhaps by some feeble old woman, was an intimation to the warriors
to advance and attack the Europeans. (R. Brough Smyth, F.L.S., F.G.S.,
_The Aborigines of Victoria_. _Melbourne_, 1878, vol. i, pp. 152,
153.)
_FIRE ARROWS._
"Travelers on the prairie have often seen the Indians throwing up
signal lights at night, and have wondered how it was done.... They
take off the head of the arrow and dip the shaft in gunpowder, mixed
with glue.... The gunpowder adheres to the wood, and coats it three or
four inches from its end to the depth of one-fourth of an inch. Chewed
bark mixed with dry gunpowder is then fastened to the stick, and the
arrow is ready for use. When it is to be fired, a warrior places it on
his bowstring and draws his bow ready to let it fly; the point of the
arrow is then lowered, another warrior lights the dry bark, and it is
shot high in the air. When it has gone up a little distance, it bursts
out into a flame, and burns brightly until it falls to the ground.
Various meanings are attached to these fire-arrow signals. Thus, one
arrow meant, among the Santees, 'The enemy are about'; two arrows
from the same point, 'Danger'; three, 'Great danger'; many, 'They
are too strong, or we are falling back'; two arrows sent up at the
same moment, 'We will attack'; three, 'Soon'; four, 'Now'; if shot
diagonally, 'In that direction.' These signals are constantly changed,
and are always agreed upon when the party goes out or before it
separates. The Indians send their signals very intelligently, and
seldom make mistakes in telegraphing each other by these silent
monitors. The amount of information they can communicate by fires and
burning arrows is perfectly wonderful. Every war party carries with it
bundles of signal arrows." (_Belden, The White Chief; or Twelve Years
among the Wild Indians of the Plains_. _Cincinnati and New York_,
1871, pp. 106, 107.)
With regard to the above, it is possible that white influence has been
felt in the mode of signaling as well as in the use of gunpowder,
but it would be interesting to learn if any Indians adopted a similar
expedient before gunpowder was known to them. They frequently used
arrows, to which flaming material was attached, to set fire to the
wooden houses of the early colonists. The Caribs were acquainted with
this same mode of destruction as appears by the following quotation:
"Their arrows were commonly poisoned, except when they made their
military excursions by night; on these occasions they converted
them into instruments of still greater mischief; for, by arming the
points with pledgets of cotton dipped in oil, and set on fire, they
fired whole villages of their enemies at a distance." (_Alcedo. The
Geograph. and Hist. Dict. of America and the West Indies_. Thompson's
trans. _London_, 1812, Vol. I, p. 314.)
_DUST SIGNALS._
When an enemy, game, or anything else which was the special object
of search is discovered, handfulls of dust are thrown into the air
to announce that discovery. This signal has the same general
signification as when riding to and fro, or, round in a circle on an
elevated portion of ground, or a bluff. (_Dakota_ VII, VII.)
When any game or any enemy is discovered, and should the sentinel be
without a blanket, he throws a handful of dust up into the air. When
the Brules attacked the Ponkas, in 1872, they stood on the bluff and
threw up dust. (_Omaha_ I; _Ponka_ I.)
There appears to be among the Bushmen a custom of throwing up sand or
earth into the air when at a distance from home and in need of help of
some kind from those who were there. (_Miss L.C. Lloyd, MS. Letter_,
dated July 10, 1880, from Charlton House, Mowbray, near Cape Town,
Africa.)
_NOTES ON CHEYENNE AND ARAPAHO SIGNALS._
The following information was obtained from WA-U[n]'(_Bobtail_),
MO-HI'-NUK'-MA-HA'-IT (_Big horse_), Cheyennes, and O-QO-HIS'-SA (_The
Mare_, better known as "Little Raven"), and NA'-WATC (_Left Hand_),
Arapahos, chiefs and members of a delegation who visited Washington,
D.C., in September, 1880, in the interest of their tribes dwelling in
Indian Territory:
A party of Indians going on the war-path leave camp, announcing their
project to the remaining individuals and informing neighboring friends
by sending runners. A party is not systematically organized until
several days away from its headquarters, unless circumstances should
require immediate action. The pipe-bearers are appointed, who precede
the party while on the march, carrying the pipes, and no one is
allowed to cross ahead of these individuals, or to join the party
by riding up before the head of the column, as it would endanger the
success of the expedition. All new arrivals fall in from either side
or the rear. Upon coming in sight of any elevations of land likely to
afford a good view of the surrounding country the warriors come to
a halt and secrete themselves as much as possible. The scouts who
have already been selected, advance just before daybreak to within a
moderate distance of the elevation to ascertain if any of the enemy
has preceded them. This is only discovered by carefully watching the
summit to see if any objects are in motion; if not, the flight of
birds is observed, and if any should alight upon the hill or butte
it would indicate the absence of anything that might ordinarily scare
them away. Should a large bird, as a raven, crow, or eagle, fly toward
the hill-top and make a sudden swerve to either side and disappear, it
would indicate the presence of something sufficient to require further
examination. When it is learned that there is reason to suspect an
enemy the scout, who has all the time been closely watched by the
party in the rear, makes a signal for them to lie still, signifying
_danger or caution._ It is made by grasping the blanket with the right
hand and waving it earthward from a position in front of and as high
as the shoulder. This is nearly the same as civilized Americans use
the hand for a similar purpose in battle or hunting to direct "lie
quiet"!
Should the hill, however, be clear of any one, the Indian will ascend
slowly, and under cover as much as possible, and gain a view of the
country. If there is no one to be seen, the blanket is grasped and
waved horizontally from right to left and back again repeatedly,
showing a clear surface. If the enemy is discovered, the scout will
give the _alarm_ by running down the hill, upon a side visible to the
watchers, in a zigzag manner, which communicates the state of affairs.
Should any expedition or advance be attempted at night, the same
signals as are made with the blanket are made with a firebrand, which
is constructed of a bunch of grass tied to a short pole.
When a war party encamps for a night or a day or more, a piece of wood
is stuck into the ground, pointing in the direction pursued, with a
number of cuts, notches, or marks corresponding to the number of days
which the party spent after leaving the last camp until leaving the
present camp, serving to show to the recruits to the main party the
course to be followed, and the distance.
A hunting party in advancing takes the same precautions as a war
party, so as not to be surprised by an enemy. If a scout ascends a
prominent elevation and discovers no game, the blanket is grasped and
waved horizontally from side to side at the height of the shoulders or
head; and if game is discovered the Indian rides back and forth (from
left to right) a short distance so that the distant observers can view
the maneuver. If a large herd of buffalo is found, the extent traveled
over in going to and fro increases in proportion to the size of the
herd. A quicker gait is traveled when the herd is very large or haste
on the part of the hunters is desired.
It is stated that these Indians also use mirrors to signal from one
elevation to another, but the system could not be learned, as they say
they have no longer use for it, having ceased warfare(?).