such as clapping hands in Africa,[1] and jumping up and down in Tierra del Fuego,[2] are made to do duty as signs of friendship or greeting.
There are a number of well-known gestures which are hard to explain. Such are various signs of hatred and contempt, such as lolling out the tongue, which is a universal sign, though it is not clear why it should he so, biting the thumb, making the sign of the stork's bill behind another's back (ciconiam facere), and the sign known as "taking a sight," which was as common at the time of Rabelais as it is now.
In modern India, as in ancient Rome, only a part of the signs we find described are such as can be set down at once to their proper origin.[3] One of the common gestures in India, especially, has puzzled many Europeans. This is the way of beckoning with the hand to call a person, which looks as though it were the reverse of the movement which we use for the purpose. I have heard, on native authority, that the apparent difference consists in the palm being outwards instead of inwards, but a remark made about the natives of the south of India by Mr. Roberts, who seems to have been an extremely good observer, suggests another explanation: "The way in which the people beckon for a person, is to lift up the right hand to its extreme height, and then bring it down with a sudden sweep to the ground."[4] It is evident that to make a sort of abbreviation of this movement, as by doing it from the wrist or elbow instead of from the shoulder, would be a natural sign, and yet would be liable to be taken for our gesture of motioning away. It is possible that something of this kind has led to the following description of the way of beckoning in New Zealand:— "In signals for those some way off to come near, the arm is waved in an exactly opposite direction to that adopted by Englishmen for similar purposes, and the natives in giving silent assent to anything, elevate the head and chin in place of nodding acquiescence."[5]
- ↑ Burton, 'Central Africa,' vol. ii. p. 69.
- ↑ Wilkes, U. 8. Exploring Exp.; London, 1845, vol. i. p. 127.
- ↑ Plin. xi. 103. Roberts, 'Oriental lllustr.,' pp. 87, 90, 285, 293, 461, 475, 491.
- ↑ 'Oriental lllustr.' p. 396.
- ↑ A. S. Thomson, 'The Story of New Zealand;' London, 1859, vol. i. p. 209. See Cook, 'First Voy. H.,' vol. ii. p. 311.
