268 HELPLESSNESS: Chap. XL 



would not go in the proper direction which had been 

 pointed out to him. 



Mr. Washington Matthews says, in reference to the 

 wild Indian tribes of the western parts of the United 

 States, " I have on a few occasions detected men using 

 a slight apologetic shrug, but the rest of the demonstra- 

 tion which you describe I have not witnessed." Fritz 

 Muller informs me that he has seen the negroes in Brazil 

 shrugging their shoulders; but it is of course possible 

 that they may have learnt to do so by imitating the Por- 

 tuguese. Mrs. Barber has never seen this gesture with 

 the Kafirs of South Africa; and Gaika, judging from his 

 answer, did not even understand what was meant by 

 my description. Mr. Swinhoe is also doubtful about 

 the Chinese; but he has seen them, under the circum- 

 stances which would make us shrug our shoulders, press 

 their right elbow against their side, raise their eye- 

 brows, lift up their hand with the palm directed to- 

 wards the person addressed, and shake it from right to 

 left. Lastly, with respect to the Australians, four of 

 my informants answer by a simple negative, and one 

 by a simple affirmative. Mr. Bunnett, who has had 

 excellent opportunities for observation on the borders 

 of the Colony of Victory, also answers by a "yes," 

 adding that the gesture is performed " in a more sub- 

 dued and less demonstrative manner than is the case 

 with civilized nations." This circumstance may ac- 

 count for its not having been noticed by four of my in- 

 formants. 



These statements, relating to Europeans, Hindoos, 

 the hill-tribes of India, Malays, Micronesians, Abyssin- 

 ians, Arabs, Negroes, Indians of North America, and ap- 

 parently to the Australians — many of these natives hav- 

 ing had scarcely any intercourse with Europeans — are 

 sufficient to show that shrugging the shoulders, accom- 



