MALLERY.] SIGN LANGUAGE ONCE UNIVERSAL IN N. A. 325 
tribes so well as to require quotation: “The language of signs is so per- 
fectly understood in the Western country, and the Indians themselves 
are such admirable pantomimists, that, after a little use, no difficulty 
whatever exists in carrying on a conversation by such a channel; and 
there are few mountain men who are ata loss in thoroughly understand- 
ing and making themselves intelligible by signs alone, although they 
neither speak nor understand a word of the Indian tongue.” 
Passing to the correspondents of the writer from remote parts of 
North America, it is important to notice that Mr. J. W. Powell, Indian 
superintendent, reports the use of sign language among the Kutine, and 
Mr. James Lenihan, Indian agent, among the Selish, both tribes of 
British Columbia. The Very Rev. Edward Jacker, while contributing in- 
formation upon the present use of gesture language among the Ojibwas of 
Lake Superior, mentions thatit has fallen into comparative neglect because 
for three generations they had not been in contact with tribes of a dif- 
ferent speech. Dr. Francis H. Atkins, acting assistant surgeon, United 
States Army, in forwarding a contribution of signs of the Mescalero 
Apaches remarks: ‘I think it probable that they have used sign lan- 
guage rather less than many other Indians. They do not seem to use 
it to any extent at home, and abroad the only tribes they were likely 
to come into contact with were the Navajos, the Lipans of old Mexico, 
and the Comanches. Probably the last have been almost alone their 
visiting neighbors. They have also seen the Pueblos a little, these ap- 
pearing to be, like the Phoenicians of old, the traders of this region.” 
He also alludes to the effect of the Spanish, or rather lingua Mexicana, 
upon all the Southern tribes and, indeed, upon those as far north as the 
Utes, by which recourse to signs is now rendered less necessary. 
Before leaving this particular topic it is proper to admit that, while 
there is not only recorded testimony to the past use of gesture signs by 
several tribes of the Iroquoian and Algonkian families, but evidence 
that it still remains, it is, however, noticeable that these families when 
met by their first visitors do not appear to have often impressed the 
latter with their reliance upon gesture language to the same extent as 
has always been reported of the tribes now and formerly found farther 
inland. An explanation may be suggested from the fact that among 
those families there were more people dwelling near together in commu- 
nities speaking the same language, though with dialectic peculiarities, 
than became known later in the farther West, and not being nomadic their 
intercourse with strange tribes was less individual and conversational. 
Some of the tribes, in especial the Iroquois proper, were ina comparatively 
advanced social condition. A Mohawk or Seneca would probably have 
repeated the arrogance of the old Romans, whom in other respects they 
resembled, and compelled persons of inferior tribes to learn his language 
if they desired to converse with him, instead of resorting to the com- 
promise of gesture speech, which he had practiced before the prowess and 
policy of the confederated Five Nations had gained supremacy and which 
was still used for special purposes between the members of his own tribe. 
