The Indians of North America. 75 
there are some in Mexico who understand each other by whistling 
—which is ordinarily used among lovers and thieves. 
All the tribes possess a knowledge of the universal language of 
signs, by means of which they engage in long pantomimic conver- 
sations. 
Signs for animals, as buffalo, deer, elk, and for riding, sleeping, 
eating, drinking, shooting, raining, snowing, stealing, trading, 
doubting, lying, are used by Dakota, Comanche, Cheyenne and 
Crow Indians. 
The Natchez Indians had three styles of language—one for the 
men, another for the women, and a third for ordinary use. 
Also the nobility spoke a language partially different from that 
of the common people. 
The people of Greenland, Hudson’s Bay and Labrador use, with 
certain modifications, the language of the Laplanders. 
The Indians found by the Spaniards in Mexico and Guatemala 
asserted that they came at different times from the North, and from 
the region west of the Rocky Mountains. 
The Natchez, who were among the most civilized of the Indians 
of Florida and Louisiana, state that they came from the region of 
Mexico, where their chief, or Sun, had his abode; the nation main- 
tained itself against the ancient people of that country, who con- 
quered some of their villages in the plains, but never could force 
them from the mountains. *“ * The country on the east side 
of the large river being extremely pleasant, the ‘ Great Sun,’ upon 
the return of those he sent to examine it, ordered all his subjects 
who lived in the plains, and who still defended themselves against 
the ancients of the country, to remove into this land; here to build 
a temple and to preserve the eternal fire. 
Some of the tribes of this nation were incorporated with the 
Creeks or Muscogees. Many of the ancient practices of the semi- 
civilized people of Florida may yet be observed in the institutions 
of the Creeks. 
Many writers agree that, so far as man is concerned, there is no 
doubt of the one origin of the species. This fact may be proved 
both physically and morally. 
Ledyard says: ‘‘I suspect that all red people are of the same 
family. lam satisfied that America was peopled from Asia, and 
had some, if not all, its animals from there.”’ 
The Chickasaws and Choctaws were met by De Soto on the east 
