178 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bill. 38 



Progression, as in walking or traveling, is represented by means of 

 a forward undulatory movement of the outstretched arm and hand, 

 palm downward, in a horizontal plane. This gesture is rhythmic 

 and beautifull}^ pictorial. If the other hand also is made a partner 

 in the gesture, the significance would seem to be extended, makijig it 

 include, perhaps, a larger number in the traveling company. The 

 mere extension of the arm, the back-hand advanced, would serve 

 the purpose of indicating removal, travel, but in a manner less 

 gracious and caressing. 



To re})resent an open level space, as of a sand-beach or of the earth- 

 plain, the Hawaiian very naturally extended his arms and open 

 hands — palms downward, of course — the degree of his reaching etfort 

 being in a sense a measure of the scope intended. 



To represent the act of covering or protecting oneself with clothing, 

 the Hawaiian placed the hollow of each hand over the opposite 

 shoulder with a sort of hugging action. But here, again, one can lay 

 down no hard and fast rule. There Avas ditferentiation ; the pictorial 

 action might well vary according to tlie actor's conception of the three 

 or moi'e generic forms that constituted the varieties of Hawaiian 

 dress, which were the mdlo oi the man, the pa-u of the wonuin, and 

 the decent klhet^ a togalike robe, which, like the blanket of the Xoi-th 

 American Indian, was common to both sexes. Still another gesture, 

 a sweeping of the hands from the shoulder down toward the ground, 

 would be used to indicate that costly feather robe, the ahuida, which 

 was the regalia and prerogative of kings and chiefs. 



The Hawaiian places his hands, palms up, edge to edge, so that the 

 little finger of one hand touches its fellow of the other hand. By 

 this action he means union or similarity. He turns one palm down, 

 so that the little finger and thumb of opposite hands touch each other. 

 The significance of the action is noAv wholly reversed ; he now means 

 disunion, contrariety. 



To indicate death, the death of a person, the finger-tips, placed in 

 api^osition, are drawn away from each other with a sweeping ges- 

 ture and at the same time lowered till the palms face the ground. In 

 this case also we find diversity. One old man. Avell acquainted with 

 hula matters, being asked to signify in pantomimic fashion " the 

 king is sick,*" went through the following motions : He first pointed 

 upward, to indicate the heaven-born one. the king; then he brought 

 his hands to his body and threw his face into a painful grimace. To 

 indicate the death of the king he threw his hands upward tow^ard the 

 sky, as if to signify a removal by flight. He admitted the accuracy 

 of the gesture, previously described, in which the hands are moved 

 toward the gi'ound. 



There are, of course, imitative and mimetic gestures galore, as of 

 paddling, swimming, diving, angling, and the like, which one sees 



