340 SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
turn of the wrist back to its original position is fully equivalent to the 
elaborate signs.” 
It may be added that nearly every sign which to be intelligibly de- 
scribed and as exhibited in full requires the use of both hands, is out- 
lined, with one hand only, by skillful Indians gesturing between them- 
selves, so as to be clearly understood between them. Two Indians, whose 
blankets are closely held to their bodies by the left hand, which is neces- 
sarily rendered unavailable for gesture, will severally thrust the right 
from beneath the protecting folds and converse freely. The same is true 
when one hand of each holds the bridle of a horse. ‘ 
The Italian signs are also made in such abbreviated forms as to be 
little more than hinted at, requiring a perfect knowledge of the full and 
original form before the slight and often furtive suggestion of it can be 
understood. Deaf-mutes continually seek by tacit agreement to shorten 
their signs more and more. While the original of each may be pre- 
served in root or stem, it is only known to the proficient, as the root 
or stem of a plant enables botanists, but no others, to distinguish it. 
Thus the natural character of signs, the universal significance which is 
their peculiarly distinctive feature, may and often does become lost. 
From the operation of the principle of independent and individual ab- 
breviation inherent in all sign language, without any other cause, that of 
the Indians must in one or two generations have become diverse, even 
if it had in fact originated from one tribe in which all conceptions and 
executions were absolute. 
ARE SIGNS CONVENTIONAL OR INSTINCTIVE? 
There has been much discussion on the question whether gesture signs 
were originally invented, in the strict sense of that term, or whether they 
result from a natural connection between them and the ideas repre- 
sented by them, that is whether they are conventional or instinctive. 
Cardinal Wiseman (Hssays, [11, 57) thinks that they are of both char- 
acters; but referring particularly to the Italian signs and the proper 
mode of discovering their meaning, observes that they are used prima- 
rily with words and from the usual accompaniment of certain phrases. 
“For these the gestures become substitutes, and then by association 
express all their meaning, even when used alone.” This would be the 
process only where systematic gestures had never prevailed or had been 
so disused as to be forgotten, and were adopted after elaborate oral 
phrases and traditional oral expressions had become common. In other 
parts of this paper it is suggested that conventionality chiefly consists 
in abbreviation, and that signs are originally self-interpreting, independ- 
ent of words, and therefore in a certain sense instinctive. 
Another form of the above query, having the same intent, is whether 
signs are arbitrary or natural. The answer will depend upon what the 
observer considers to be natural to himself. A common sign among 
both deaf-mutes and Indians for woman consists in designating the 
