NATIVE SALUTATIONS. 121 



with whom an interchange of civilities and saluta- 

 tions took place. 



In saluting each other, the Dankalli place the 

 palms of their right hands together, and slowly slide 

 them off again. A particular and very long form of 

 greeting then takes place, a number of questions are 

 asked in succession by one of the parties, and are 

 replied to by a corresponding string of answers. The 

 other party then asks his questions, is answered in 

 the same manner, the right hands are again slided 

 over each other, and the parties separate to 

 encounter other friends. The greatest mistrust 

 characterizes all their dealings with each other, and 

 the hand grasped during the salutation, I was told 

 was a certain signal of treachery, for numbers had 

 been murdered by others standing by, whilst thus 

 held by supposed friends. 



The women, when they meet their male friends, 

 put on an affectation of shyness, which, I suppose, 

 passes amongst them for modesty. They take and 

 hold the proffered hand in theirs for some time, 

 carry it to their lips, and then taking each of the 

 fingers, they press them in succession one by one. 

 All this ceremonial I observed performed, even by a 

 mother to her own son, who stood very majestically re- 

 ceiving this homage, as if it were nothing but his due. 



The road now began to take the course of the 

 valley, between high and barren hills of a sombre 

 red colour, and of the same igneous origin with 

 the whole of the surrounding country ; white bands 



