OBEISANCES. 133 



principal chiefs. How this obeisance becomes further 

 abridged, and how it becomes extended to other persons 

 than rulers, is shown by natives of the Gold Coast. 



&quot; They also salute Europeans, and sometimes each other, by slight 

 ly removing their robe from their left shoulder with the light hand, 

 gracefully bowing at the same time. When they wish to be very re 

 spectful, they uncover the shoulder altogether, and support the robe 

 under the arm, the whole of the person from the breast upwards 

 being left exposed.&quot; 



And Burton says that, &quot; throughout Yoruba and the Gold 

 Coast, to bare the shoulders is like unhatting in England.&quot; 



Evidently uncovering the head, thus suggestively com 

 pared with uncovering the upper part of the body, has the 

 same original meaning. Even in certain European usages 

 the relation between the two has been recognized; as by 

 Ford, who remarks that &quot; uncloaking in Spain is ... 

 equivalent to our taking off the hat.&quot; It is recognized 

 in Africa itself, where, as in Dahomey, the two are joined: 

 &quot; the men bared their shoulders, doffing their caps and 

 large umbrella hats,&quot; says Burton, speaking of his recep 

 tion. It is recognized in Polynesia, where, as in Tahiti, 

 along with the stripping down to the waist before the king, 

 there goes uncovering of the head. Hence it seems that 

 removal of the hat among European peoples, often reduced 

 among ourselves to touching the hat, is a remnant of that 

 process of unclothing himself, by which, in early times, the 

 captive expressed the yielding up of all he had. 



That baring the feet has the same origin, is well shown 

 by these same Gold Coast natives; for while they partially 

 bare the upper part of the body, they also take off their 

 sandals &quot; as a mark of respect: &quot; they begin to strip the 

 body at both ends. Throughout ancient America uncov 

 ering the feet had a like meaning. In Peru, &quot; no lord, 

 however great he might be, entered the presence of the 

 Ynca in rich clothing, but in humble attire and barefoot 

 ed; &quot; and in Mexico, &quot; the kings who were vassals of Monte- 

 G7 



