566 



SIGNALS 



[B. A. E. 



would burn slowly and throw out a dense 

 smoke. The fire, after having been 

 lighted, was first allowed to burn for 

 some time without hindrance until it was 

 evident or probable that it had attracted 

 the attention of those at a distance for 

 whom it was intended. The signaler 

 then proceeded with the message by 

 throwing his blanket over the smolder- 

 ing pile so as to confine the smoke, and 

 then withdrawing it, allowing a single 

 balloon-like puff of smoke to ascend 

 toward the sky. This was repeated 

 again and again until by the number, 

 length, or continued succession of the 

 smoke puffs the watchers in camp knew 

 whether buffalo or an approaching enemy 

 had been discovered, whether they must 

 flee for safety, or hurry with all speed to 

 the attack or rescue. The signal was the 

 more surely noted by reason of the fact 

 that the Indians were almost constantly 

 on the watch and that certain command- 

 ing lookout points in the neighborhood of 

 every regular camping place were recog- 

 nized as regular signal stations. Return- 

 ing war parties among the Pima and some 

 other tribes of that region were accus- 

 tomed to give advance notice of the num- 

 ber of scalps taken by means of a corre- 

 sponding number of fires built within view 

 of the home camp. Among the Omaha 

 the returning successful war party sent 

 up smoke signals when near the home 

 camp, while on coming in sight of their 

 friends the number of warriors lost was 

 indicated by having the same number of 

 men turn successively to one side and 

 drop to the ground (La Flesche). The 

 Apache sent up fire signals by firing the 

 resinous spines on the tall trunks of the 

 giant saguaro cactus {Cereus giganteus). 

 The timber tribes of the E. , on the con- 

 trary, made similar announcement by 

 means of the long-drawn scalp halloo. 



Motion signals were made either on 

 horse or foot, and frequently with the 

 aid of the blanket which the Indian war- 

 rior almost always wore about his shoul- 

 ders or twisted around his waist. In 

 many cases, as has been said, they were 

 simply adaptations from the ordinary 

 sign language, and were frequently ex- 

 tremely picturesque in execution. The 

 ordinary signal of "discovery" was made 

 by riding in a circle, not because the 

 circle in itself indicated anything in this 

 connection, but because such a movement 

 was most sure to be distinguishable from 

 any direction. When it was seen from 

 the bustle in camp to have attracted 

 attention, it was followed by the specific 

 signal for "buffalo" or "enemy," the 

 two most constant ideas in the mind of 

 the western nomad. The buffalo sign 

 might be made to do duty for any other 

 large game or even in late times for a 



herd of range cattle, while the absence of 

 either sign after the discovery signal in- 

 dicated the proximity of a friendly party. 

 The "buffalo" signal was made by hold- 

 ing the open blanket at the two corners 

 with the arms outstretched above the 

 head and gracefully bringing it down 

 toward the ground. The "enemy" sig- 

 nal was made by confused and rapid riding 

 back and forth after the first discovery 

 signal. It was also made by waving the 

 outstretched blanket several times rapidly 

 above the head. Among the Omaha and 

 some other tribes the "discovery " signal 

 was made by riding from side to side, or 

 by running in the same way, if on foot, 

 the motion being known by terms signi- 

 fying approximately "showing" or "zig- 

 zagging. ' ' The false or dishonest making 

 of this signal was severely punished (La 

 Flesche ) . The ' ' alarm ' ' signal was made 

 by throwing the blanket into the air sev- 

 eral times in quick succession. The sig- 

 nal for ' ' coast clear ' ' was given by gently 

 waving the open blanket from side to side 

 in front of the body. Returning war 

 parties or parties of scouts often with 

 robe or blanket signaled success or failure, 

 and in the latter case the number of men 

 that the party had lost. Other signals, 

 more or less easily understood, indicated 

 "come," "halt," "friend," "defiance," 

 etc. On those accidental occasions where 

 the discoverer was without either horse 

 or blanket, he mightgive the alarm from a 

 distance by throwing up handfuls of dust. 

 The Sioux, and perhaps other northern 

 plains tribes, in later times had a system 

 of heliograph signals by means of mirrors. 



The drum signal, for calling the people 

 together on ceremonial occasions and for 

 marking the changes in the performance, 

 was probably universal. Signal calls, as 

 the "journey halloo " of an expedition on 

 starting out, the "scalp halloo," the 

 "death halloo," etc., were in general use 

 among the Eastern tribes. On Kodiak 

 and the Aleutian ids. of Alaska, according 

 to Miss A. C. Fletcher, strangers halted 

 at a recognized station to signal to the 

 distant village and then sat down to 

 await the arrival of the receiving party, 

 occupying themselves in the meantime in 

 fashioning stone lamps from material 

 always kept on deposit at such places. 

 Farther s. along the same coast, as early 

 as 1787, explorers noted the peace signal 

 made from an approaching canoe by 

 blowing into the air the white down 

 feathers of the eagle, or displaying a tuft 

 of white feathers from a pole set up at 

 the head of the canoe. The various 

 social signals, used by children at play, 

 by lovers, and by others in the home 

 camps, were too diverse for description. 



Closely akin to signals were the various 

 trail marks used to indicate the passing 



