(100) Sign for together as above (No. 30)—­together.

(101) Motion of paddling—­paddled.

(102) Pointing to ground—­to this place.

(103) K.  Motion of drinking water out of hand—­water.

(104) Describing circle with right index on palm of left hand extended horizontally—­lake.

(105) Left hand raised to height of eye, palm to front, fingers leaning slightly backward.  Fingers of left hand closed alternately—­how many?

(106) T.  Holding up right hand back to front, showing four fingers, eyes looking at them as if counting—­four.

(107) Sign for packing with wooden breast-brace as above; three fingers of right hand shown as above—­three portages.

(108) K.  Right hand pointing to gun of stranger—­gun.  Left hand raised height of eye, palm to front, and moved rapidly several times to right and left—­interrogation.

(109) Sign for trade as before (No. 22)—­trade; i.e., where did you buy the gun?

(110) T.  Sign for Mountain-river as above (No. 2).  Pointing eastward—­from the eastward.

(111) Pointing to sun and then raising both hands, backs to front, fingers spread—­ten days.

(112) Pointing to me—­white man.

(113) Left hand held up vertically, palm outward, fingers joined.  Right index placed horizontally across fingers of left hand in front, about the middle joint—­pallisaded.

(114) Describing square with right index on flat palm of left hand—­building.

(115) Pointing to his gun, powder-horn, blanket, and beads—­trading goods.

(116) Both hands horizontal, brought forward and upward from chest and then downward—­plenty.

In giving this narrative I have observed the original sequence, but there were frequent interruptions, caused by consultation between Chatidoolts and his sons, and before the strangers departed again they had obtained a knowledge of some words of the Kenaitze language.

[Footnote 1:  Chatidoolts explained this to his sons as well as to me, saying that the mountain men had a peculiar mode of catching beavers with long sticks.]

[Footnote 2:  They never occupy a house in which one of the other Indians died.]

OJIBWA DIALOGUE.

[COMMUNICATED BY THE VERY REV.  EDWARD JACKER.]

The following short dialogue forms part of the scanty tradition the civilized Ojibwas possess regarding their ancestors’ sign language: 

Two Indians of different tongue meet on a journey.  First Indian points to second Indian with the outstretched forefinger of the right hand, bringing it within a few inches of his breast; next he extends both forearms horizontally, clinches all but the forefingers, and bends the hands inward; then he brings them slowly and in a straight line together, until the tips of the outstretched forefingers meet.  This gesture is accompanied with a look of inquiry—­You met somebody?