HORN EXPEDITION-ANTIIROPOLOOY. 
Ill 
wild dog is coming.’ Everyone understands what he means, and an attempt is 
made to kill the Kurdaitcha. This form of vendetta is a very risky game for the 
Kurdaitcha to play, but, as usual, the medicine men make matters right for 
themselves, as it is always an understood thing that they shall be allowed to 
return scot-free. It is quite possible that further north the custom is still carried 
on, but Mr. Byrne says that it is now quite twenty years since it has died out 
in the district round Charlotte Waters. 
Gesture or Sign Language. 
Observations by various writers and travellers had made me aware of the 
existence, amongst some Australian tribes, of signs, consisting for the most part of 
movements of the hand and fingers, by which objects and simple ideas can be 
signified. It was, however, a great surprise to us to find that these signs 
constituted, in the districts visited, a very extensive system of gesture language, 
which is not only much used but is capable of indicating a very large number of 
objects, as well as simple ideas concerning them. The late Mr, Curr states that 
the practice of “ communicating by signs is exceptional, the Australian being 
noticeable for the little use either of signs or gesticulations.” Our information on 
the subject is still very limited, but I have little doubt, if inquiries were specially 
directed to the question, that it would be found that the use of gesture language 
is very much more general in Australia than is indicated by Mr. Curr’s remark.* 
I have reason to believe that in Central Australia the use of such signs is widely 
spread; the Arunta and Luritcha tribes at least, who use them freely, cover a good 
part of that region, and the area would be still further extended by the inclusion of 
the Bieyerie group of tribes, who, as Mr. Gason informs us, make a copious use of 
signs.t I think it is more than probable, also, that the “masonic signs” noticed by 
Stuart when, on his fourth journey, he was checked at Attack Creek, were gestures 
of the character in question. Of intervening tribes I cannot speak from personal 
observation, but Mr. Gillen informs me that the sign language reaches a still higher 
development in the tribes to the north of the McDonnell Ranges than amongst 
those to the south. We frequently saw them used by natives as they walked 
alongside of our party, or as they sat together in camp, when it seemed as if a 
more or less continuous and, to themselves, certainly intelligible silent conver¬ 
sation was being carried on. 
* Op. cit. 
t The Dioyci'ic Tribe, Samuel Gason, a.d. 1S74. Reprinted in Native Tribes of South Australia, cd. by ,1. 1). 
Woods, A.D. 1879. 
