OCR Text |
Show 64 DESCBIPTION AND ILLUSTRATION. which also bear upon the subdivision last above mentioned: lcAbove" is indicated by holding the left hand horizontal, and in front of the body, fingers open, but joined together, palm upward. The right hand is then placed horizontal, fingers open but joined, palm downward, an inch or more above the left, and raised and lowered a few inches several times, the left hand being perfectly still. If the thing indicated as " above" is only a little above, this concludes the sign, but if it be considerably above, the right hand is raised higher and higher as the height to be expressed is greater, until, if enormously above, the Indian will raise his right hand as high as possible, and, fixing his eyes on the zenith, emit a duplicate grunt, the more prolonged as he desires to express the greater height. All this time the left hand is held perfectly motionless. " Below" is exactly the same, except that all movement is made by the left or lower hand, the right being held motionless, palm downward, and the eyes looking down. The code of the Cistercian monks was based, in large part on a system of opposition which would more likely be wrought out by an intentional process of invention than by spontaneous figuration, and is rather of mnemonic than suggestive value They made two fingers at the right side of the nose stand for " friend," and the same at the left side for " enemy," by some fanciful connection with right and wrong, and placed the little finger on the tip of the nose for " fool" merely because it had been decided to put the forefinger there for " wise man." DETAILS OP DESCRIPTION AND ILLUSTRATION. The signs of the Indians appear to consist of motions rather than positions- a fact enhancing the difficulty both of their description and illustration- and the motions are generally large and free, seldom minute. It seems also to be the general rule among Indians as among deaf- mutes that the point of the finger is used to trace outlines and the palm of the hand to describe surfaces. From an examination of the identical signs made for the same object by Indians of the same tribe and band to each other, they appear to make most gestures with little regard to the position of the fingers and to vary in such arrangement from individual taste. Some of the elaborate descriptions, giving with great detail the attitude of the fingers of any |