482 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



favor was shown in the East, not by withdrawal, but by turning 

 the palm to be kissed sometimes instead of, and sometimes in ad- 

 dition to, the back of the hand, which was normally approached 

 by the lips. It is also clear that the hand-taking or grasping, 

 1 with or without the shaking, was in its essence mutual, which 

 hand-kissing could not be, as the nearest approach to the idea of 

 mutuality in that action would be its exchange in succession. So 

 Mr. Spencer's explanation does not apply to the great majority of 

 the salutes now in question. It is also necessary to bear in mind 

 that the expression "hand-shaking" as reported by English trav- 

 elers is deceptive, being, as before explained, a mere term. When 

 detailed descriptions are presented it generally appears that there 

 is no " shake," but a mutual grasp or some other use of joined 

 hands. In the present discussion, therefore, the so-called shake 

 may be dismissed as non-essential. 



The Chinese saluter clasps his hands together, holds them out, 

 waves them gently, bends forward, and says, " Chin ! chin ! " mean- 

 ing, " Please, please ! " or, less definitely, " Thank you," or " Good- 

 by," as the circumstances explain. In the Society Islands the 

 clasping of hands marked the marriage union or the loving com- 

 pact between two brothers-in-arms, but had no place in ordinary 

 greetings. Among the North American Indians, and in other 

 parts of the world where, as among the Indians, the hand-grasp 

 in simple salutation has not been found, the junction of the hands 

 between two persons is the ceremonial for union and peace, and 

 the sign for the same concept is exhibited by the two hands of 

 one person similarly grasped as an invitation to, or signification 

 of, union and peace. It must be remembered that among the 

 North American Indians to smoke tobacco is the most common 

 salutation. Indians are at peace only with those with whom they 

 smoke, and to smoke is to make peace. When actual smoking is 

 not practicable the gesture-sign for it is also that for "peace" 

 and " friend." The Cheyenne form is tips of the first two fin- 

 gers of the right hand placed against or at a right angle to the 

 mouth and suddenly elevated upward and outward to imitate 

 smoke expelled. Apart from this prevailing sign, one, often 

 made for peace, is by clasping the hands in front of the body, 

 the back of the left hand usually down. Some Indians clasp the 

 hands by interlocking the fingers, holding the forearms vertical. 

 The Sac, Fox, and Kickapoo tribes hold before the body the ex- 

 tended left hand, and grasp it with the right. It is of interest, 

 in confirming the above-mentioned concept of these signs, that 

 since the Cherokees have learned to write in their own language 

 by their own syllabary, they place at the end of their friendly 

 missives the word " ' wigvyaligu," meaning, "I grasp your hand at 

 a distance." 



