282 SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
the North American Indians, as distinct from the signs which are gen- 
erally its abbreviations, has been frequently described in general terms, 
but it may be interesting to present two instances from remote loecali- 
ties. 
A Maricopa Indian, in the present limits of Arizona, was offered an 
advantageous trade for his horse, whereupon he stretched himself on 
his horse’s neck, caressed it tenderly, at the same time shutting his 
eyes, meaning thereby that no offer could tempt him to part with his 
charger. 
An A-tco-maé-wi or Pit River Indian, in Northeastern California, to 
explain the cause of his cheeks and forehead being covered with tar, rep- 
resented a man falling, and, despite his efforts to save him, trembling, 
growing pale (pointing from his face to that of a white man), and sink- 
ing to sleep, his spirit winging its way to the skies, which he indicated by 
imitating with his hands the flight of a bird upwards, his body sleeping 
still upon the river bank, to which he pointed. The tar upon his face 
was thus shown to be his dress of mourning for a friend who had fallen 
and died. 
Several descriptions of pure pantomime, intermixed with the more 
conventicnalized signs, will be found in the present paper. In especial, 
reference is made to the Address of Kin Ché-éss, Natci’s Narrative, the 
Dialogue between Alaskan Indians, and Na-wa-gi-jig’s Story. 
SOME THEORIES UPON PRIMITIVE LANGUAGE. 
Cresollius, writing in 1620, was strongly in favor of giving precedence 
to gesture. He says, “‘ Man, full of wisdom and divinity, could have 
appeared nothing superior to a naked trunk or block had he not been 
adorned with the band as the interpreter and messenger of his thoughts.” 
He quotes with approval the brother of St. Basil in declaring that had 
men been formed without hands they would never have been endowed 
with an articulate voice, and concludes: ‘Since, then, nature has fur- 
nished us with two instruments for the purpose of bringing into light 
and expressing the silent affections of the mind, language and the hand, 
it has been the opinion of learned and intelligent men that the former 
would be maimed and nearly useless without the latter; whereas the 
hand, without the aid of language, has produced many and wonderful 
effects.” 
Rabelais, who incorporated into his satirical work much true learn- 
ing and philosophy, makes his hero announce the following opinion : 
“Nothing less, quoth Pantagruel [Book iii, ch. xix], do I believe 
than thatit is a mere abusing of our understandings to give credit to 
the words of those who say that there is any such thing as a natural lan- 
guage. All speeches have had their primary origin from the arbitrary 
institutions, accords, and agreements of nations in their respective con- 
