84 



SALUTATION. 



stamp of a slavish mind. Tin- verj ancient cnstiuii 

 of throwing one's self on tin- ground before persons 

 of distinction, and repeatedly kissing tlieir feet, has 

 continued to the present time. At an entertainment 

 in Pen ia, the host goes a considerable distance to 

 meet his guests, bids them welcome with the most 

 respectful compliments, then returns hastily to the 

 door of his house, and waits their arrival to repeat 

 the >:nne demonstrations of respect. In China, if 

 1\vo persons meet on horseback, the inferior in rank 

 dismounts from his horse before the superior, and 

 remains standing: until he has passed. Some saluta- 

 tions are also peculiar to men, and others to women. 

 N\ hen acquaintances meet, they join their hands upon 

 their breasts, or above their heads, bend their head 

 a little, and say Tsin, tsin a compliment without 

 any particular signification. In saluting persons to 

 whom they owe more respect, they clap their hands, 

 then raise them, and finally let them sink down to 

 the ground. Friends who meet after a long sepa- 

 ration, fall repeatedly upon their knees, and bend 

 their heads to the ground, exclaiming, at the same 

 time, Na fo ? (Has all passed happily?) or, Yung fo 

 (Happiness is painted upon thy countenance). 

 Women salute each other with the words Van fo 

 (May all happiness be with you) ; but they are not 

 allowed to salute men. Children fell on their knees 

 before their parents, and servants before their mas- 

 ter or mistress. In Japan, the inferior of two per- 

 sons saluting takes off his sandals, puts his right 

 hand into his left sleeve, permits his hands, thus 

 crossed, to sink slowly upon his knee, passes the 

 other person with short, measured steps, and a 

 rocking motion of the body, and exclaims, with a 

 fearful countenance, Augh I augh ! (Do not hurt 

 Aie !) In Siam, the inferior throws himself on the 

 ground before his superior. The latter then sends 

 one of his attendants, who are very numerous in 

 the case of persons of distinction, to examine 

 whether he has eaten, or carries with him any thing 

 of an offensive smell. If this is the case, he receives 

 a kick from the superior, and is compelled to retire 

 immediately ; if otherwise, the servant lifts him up. 

 Women, even when advanced in age, are saluted 

 with the names of the most beautiful and most pre- 

 cious objects, but not without the additional word 

 young ; as "young diamond," "young gold," "young 

 heaven," "young flower," &c. If friends wish to 

 express their mutual attachment, they scratch their 

 hand slightly, and reciprocally suck a drop of blood 

 from the wound. In Ceylon, when persons salute, 

 they raise the palm of the hand to the forehead, 

 and make a low bow. Before a superior they throw 

 themselves upon the ground, continually repeating 

 his name and dignity, while the superior very 

 gravely passes on, and hardly deigns to utter a word 

 of reply. The greeting of the common Arabian is 

 Saldm aleikum (Peace be with you), a salutation 

 which has been long in use among the Jews. At 

 the same time, he places his left hand upon his 

 breast, as a sign that this wish comes from his 

 heart. The reply is, Aleikum essdlam (With you 

 be peace). But Arabians of distinction embrace 

 each other two or three times, kiss each other's 

 cheeks, and inquire two or three times after each 

 other's health ; at the same time, each kisses his 

 own hand. The Arabians of the Desert shake 

 hands six or eight times. In Yemen, persons of 

 distinction, after a long refusal, allow their fingers 

 to be kissed. The Abyssinians and other nations 

 fall on their knees, and kiss the ground. Several 

 negro nations take each other's hands, and pull the 



fingers till they track. The negroes of Sierra 

 Leone bend the right elbow, so that the hand touches 

 the mouth ; the person saluted does the same ; they 

 then put their thumb and fore-finger together, and 

 withdraw them slowly. Other negroes snap their 

 fingers in meeting each other, pull the comb out of 

 their hair, and replace it. In Lower Guinea, the 

 saluting person seizes the fingers of the saluted, 

 brings them into a particular position, presses them, 

 cracks them hastily, calling, Altkio, ahkio (Thy 

 servant, thy servant). On the Gold coast of Upper 

 Guinea, friends embrace each other, join the tore- 

 fingers of their right hands until they crack, bend 

 their heads, repeating Auzi, auzi (Good day, good 

 day). Persons of distinction, after cracking the 

 fingers, exclaim, Bere, here (Peace, peace). It 'the 

 Mandingoes salute a female, they take her ham!, 

 raise it to their nose, and smell it twice. Mr Snell- 

 grave, an Englishman, with his companions, was 

 saluted by a messenger of the king of Dahomey, 

 attended by 500 negro soldiers, in a very novel 

 manner. The officers of the corps approached their 

 English guests with drawn swords, which they 

 brandished over their heads with curious gesticula- 

 tions and motions. They then placed their swords 

 upon their bodies, and, after a repetition of these 

 ceremonies, the messenger presented them his hand, 

 and drank to their health. In Morocco, foreigners 

 are saluted by the Moors, on horseback, in a manner 

 which may well startle those not accustomed to it. 

 The Moor rides full speed towards the stranger, as 

 if about to run him down ; he then suddenly stops, 

 and discharges his pistol over the head of the per- 

 son. Persons of equal rank salute each other nearly 

 in the European way. They shake hands, and kiss 

 each other's face and beard, particularly if they are 

 friends. The Egyptians extend their hands, place 

 them upon their breast, and bend their heads. The 

 greatest act of politeness is to kiss their own hand, 

 and afterwards place it upon their heads. They 

 only kiss the hand of men of distinction, not of 

 women. Inferior officers hold the stirrup of their 

 superiors, mounting on horseback. In the divan, 

 the inferior takes off the slipper of the superior, 

 places it by his side, and receives the same saluta- 

 tion from the latter. In other countries of Africa, 

 people take off their clothes, fall on their knees, 

 bend their heads to the ground, and cover their 

 head and shoulders with sand. The Ethiopians 

 seize the right hand of him for whom they wish to 

 show respect, and raise it to their mouth. They 

 even take his sash and tie it round their waist, so 

 that he remains for some time half naked. 



The salutations between the different tribes in the 

 north-west of America are very ceremonious. If 

 two hordes of these savages meet, they stop at the 

 distance of twenty or thirty steps, throw themselves 

 on the ground, and remain for some moments in 

 this position. The two eldest of eah party then 

 advance and relate very circumstantially the dangers 

 they have encountered. As soon as they have 

 finished their relations, they all begin to sigh. 

 These sighs are finally changed into a horrible yell, 

 in which the young girls, particularly, endeavour to 

 surpass the others of the tribe. With these affect- 

 ing manifestations of sympathy both parties ap- 

 proach, but each sex separately. Tobacco pipes 

 are handed about, and their affliction is soon 

 changed into merriment. The manner in which 

 the inhabitants of South America salute each other ; 

 is short. Their address is, Ama re fta (Thou), 

 and the answer, A (Yes). The savage of Louisiana 



