Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 430 pages of information about Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes.

Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 430 pages of information about Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes.

(53) Make gesture No. 18 toward the front—­I rode, (54) extend the right hand to the left and front, and tap towards the earth several times as in sign No. 6, having the fingers and thumb collected to a point—­camp of the white men. (55) Close both hands, with the forefingers of each partly extended and crooked, and place one on either side of the forehead, palms forward—­cattle (a steer), (56) hold the left hand loosely extended, back forward, about twenty inches before the breast, and strike the back of the partly extended right hand into the left—­shot, (57) make a short upward curved movement with both hands, their position unchanged, over and downward toward the right—­fell over, killed, (58) then hold the left hand a short distance before the body at the height of the elbow, palm downward, fingers closed, with the thumb lying over the second joint of the forefinger, extend the flattened right hand, edge down, before the body, just by the knuckles of the left, and draw the hand towards the body, repeating the movement—­skinned, (59) make the sign given in No. 25—­Banak, (60) place both hands with spread fingers upward and palms forward, thumb to thumb, before the right shoulder, moving them with a tremulous motion toward the left and front—­came in, (61) make three short movements toward the ground in front, with the left hand, fingers loosely curved, and pointing downward—­camp of the three white men, (62) then with the right hand open and flattened, edge down, cut towards the body as well as to the right and left—­cut up the meat, (63) and make the pantomimic gesture of handing it around to the visitors.

(64) Make sign No. 35, the movement being directed to the left hand, as held in No. 49—­told the white men, (65) grasping the hair on the right side of the head with the left hand, and drawing the extended right hand with the edge towards and across the side of the head from behind forward—­to scalp; (66) close the right hand, leaving the index partly extended, and wave it several times quickly from side to side a short distance before the face, slightly shaking the head at the same time—­no, Fig. 318, (67) make gesture No. 4—­me, (68) repeat No. 65—­scalp, (69) and raising the forelock high with the left hand, straighten the whole frame with a triumphant air—­make me a great chief. (70) Close the right hand with the index fully extended, place the tip to the mouth and direct it firmly forward and downward toward the ground—­stop, (71) then placing the hands, pointing upward, side by side, thumbs touching, and all the fingers separated, move them from near the breast outward toward the right, palms facing that direction at termination of movement—­the Banaks went to one side, (72) with the right hand closed, index curved, palm downward, point toward the western horizon, and at arm’s length dip the finger downward—­after sunset, (73) make the gesture given as No. 14—­white men, (74) pointing to the heart as in No. 4—­and I, (75) conclude by making gesture No. 18 from near body toward the left, four times, at the end of each movement the hands remaining in the same position, thrown slightly upward—­we four escaped on horseback.

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Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.