112 
HORN EXPEDITION—ANTHROPOLOGY. 
Some natives appeared greater adepts than others, and I think, generally 
speaking, the lubras excelled the men in readiness of execution. From what 
Professor Spencer tells me, a greater facility in their use was shown by the small 
party of natives met with at Ayers Rock, who had no acquaintance with white men, 
than by those further to the east, who had come more in contact with civilisation. 
During the too hurried journey of the Expedition Professor Spencer and I 
endeavoured to make ourselves acquainted with as many of the signs as possible, 
but, as stated elsewhere, we found a good deal of difficulty in getting our fingers 
to fall readily into the necessary positions, whereas the movements were executed 
with great nimbleness and ease by the blacks. By reference to the descriptive 
list of signs, which I am able to record, it will be seen that a good deal of variation 
exists in different parts. Those for which I am indebted to Professor Spencer, 
which, moreover, have the great advantage of being illustrated by his facile pencil, 
are partly from a “ sandhill ” native met with at Ayers Rock, who must certainly 
have belonged to the Luritcha tribe ; a few were either from a man at Tempo 
Downs, who was almost certainly a member of the same tribe, or from an Arunta 
native of the Lower Finke. Those to which my name is attached, and I regret not 
to have been able to illustrate them more fully, are also from a Luritcha picked up 
at Tempo Downs who accompanied us to the George Gill Range, of which locality 
I believe he was a native. Mr. Gillen’s list is from an Arunta native belonging 
to Alice Springs. 
It will be noticed that there is a greater correspondence between the signs 
of my Luritcha and Mr. Gillen’s Arunta native than between the former and 
Professor Spencer’s insti'uctor of the same tribe. This may, perhaps, be accounted 
for by the fact that Tempe Downs is a place where the two tribes meet, in 
consequence of which some blending of the signs has taken place. However, 
notwithstanding the undoubted variations that exist, members of these two 
tribes, which adjoin one another, appeared to be able to make their respective 
signs mutually understood. It would be very interesting to know how far the 
gesture language affords a means of communication with more distant tribes. 
In the letterpress, descriptive of various signs, which follows, the Roman 
numerals, when used, indicate the digits in order, I. indicating the thumb. The 
position of the hand designated prone is that in which the palm is turned down¬ 
wards while the reverse is spoken of as supine. Semi-prone will be used to 
indicate the position midway between the two, i.e., with the radial (thumb) border 
of the hand uppermost. 
