Chap. XL AND NEGATION. 275 



shaking the head in negation was never used, and was 

 not even understood by them. With the Esquimaux 24 

 a nod means yes and a wink no. The New Zealanders 

 " elevate the head and chin in place of nodding acquies- 

 cence." 25 



With the Hindoos Mr. H. Erskine concludes from 

 inquiries made from experienced Europeans, and from 

 native gentlemen, that the signs of affirmation and ne- 

 gation vary — a nod and a lateral shake being sometimes 

 used as we do; but a negative is more commonly ex- 

 pressed by the head being thrown suddenly backwards 

 and a little to one side, with a cluck of the tongue. What 

 the meaning may be of this cluck of the tongue, which 

 has been observed with various people, I cannot imagine. 

 A native gentleman stated that affirmation is frequently 

 shown by the head being thrown to the left. I asked 

 Mr. Scott to attend particularly to this point, and, after 

 repeated observations, he believes that a vertical nod 

 is not commonly used by the natives in affirmation, but 

 that the head is first thrown backwards either to the 

 left or right, and then jerked obliquely forwards only 

 once. This movement would perhaps have been de- 

 scribed by a less careful observer as a lateral shake. He 

 also states that in negation the head is usually held 

 nearly upright, and shaken several times. 



Mr. Bridges informs me that the Fuegians nod their 

 heads vertically in affirmation, and shake them laterally 

 in denial. With the wild Indians of North America, 

 according to Mr. Washington Matthews, nodding and 

 shaking the head have been learnt from Europeans, and 

 are not naturally employed. They express affirmation 

 " by describing with the hand (all the fingers except the 



24 Dr. King-, Edinburgh Phil. Journal, 1845, p. 313. 



25 Tylor, ' Early History of Mankind,' 2nd edit. 1870, 

 p. 53. 



