Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples Part 43

It will also be seen that in several instances, after indicating the nationality, the fingers previously used in representing the number were repeated without its previously accompanying specific gesture, as in No. 61, where the three fingers of the left hand represented the men (white), and the three movements toward the ground signified the camp or tents of the three (white) men.

This also occurs in the gesture (Nos. 59, 60, and 71) employed for the Banaks, which, having been once specified, is used subsequently without its specific preceding sign for the tribe represented.

The rapid connection of the signs Nos. 57 and 58 and of Nos. 74 and 75 indicates the conjunction, so that they are severally readily understood as "shot _and_ killed," and "the white men _and_ I." The same remark applies to Nos. 15 and 16, "the nine _and_ I."

_PATRICIO'S NARRATIVE._

This narrative was obtained in July, 1880, by Dr. FRANCIS H. ATKINS, acting a.s.sistant surgeon, United States Army, at South Fork, New Mexico, from TI-PE-BES-TLEL (Sheepskin-leggings), habitually called Patricio, an intelligent young Mescalero Apache. It gives an account of what is locally termed the "April Round-up," which was the disarming and imprisoning by a cavalry command of the United States Army, of the small Apache subtribe to which the narrator belonged.

(1) Left hand on edge, curved, palm, forward, extended backward length of arm toward the West (_far westward_).

(2) Arm same, turned hand, tips down, and moved it from north to south (_river_).

(3) Dipped same hand several times above and beyond last line (_beyond_).

(4) Hand curved (Y, more flexed) and laid on its back on top of his foot (_moccasins much curved up at toe_); then drew hands up legs to near knee, and cut off with edges of hands (_boot tops_), (_Warm Spring Apaches_, who wear booted moccasins with turn-up toes.)

(5) Hands held before him, tips near together, fingers gathered (U); then alternately opened and gathered fingers of both hands (P to U, U to P), and thrusting them toward each other a few times (_shot or killed many_).

(6) Held hands six inches from side of head, thumbs and forefingers widely separated (_Mexican_, i.e., wears a broad hat).

(7) Held right hand on edge, palm toward him, threw it on its back forward and downward sharply toward earth (T on edge to X), (_dead, so many dead_).

(8) Put thumbs to temples and indexes forward, meeting in front, other fingers closed (_soldiers_, i.e., cap-visor).

(9) Repeated No. 5 and No. 7 (_were also shot dead_).

(10) Placed first and second fingers of right hand, others closed, astride of left index, held horizontally (_horses_).

(11) Held hands on edge and forward (T on edge forward), pushed them forward, waving vertically (_marching_, i.e., _ran off with soldiers'

horses or others_). N.B.--Using both hands indicates double ranks of troops marching also.

(12) Struck right fist across in front of chin from right to left sharply (_bad_).

(13) Repeated No. 4 (_Warm Spring Apache_).

(14) Moved fist, thumb to head, from center of forehead to right temple and a little backward (_fool_).

(15) Repeated No. 8 and No. 11 (_soldiers riding in double column_).

(16) Thrust right hand down over and beyond left, both palms down (W) (_came here_).

(17) Repeated No. 8 (_soldier_).

(18) Touched hair (_hair_).

(19) Touched tent (_quite white_).

(20) Touched top of shoulder (_commissioned officer_, i.e., shoulder-straps).

(21) Thrust both hands up high (_high rank_).

(22) Right forefinger to forehead; waved it about in front of face and rolled head about (primarily _fool_, but qualified in this case by the interpreter as _no sabe much_).

(23) Drew hands up his thighs and body and pointed to himself (_Mescalero Indian_).

(24) Approximated hands before him, palms down, with thumbs and indexes widely separated, as if inclosing a circle (_captured_, i.e., _corralled, surrounded_).

(25) Placed tips of hands together, wrists apart, held them erect (T, both hands inclined), (_house_; in this case _the agency_).

(26) Threw both hands, palms back, forward and downward, moving from knuckles (metacarpo-phalangeal joint) only, several times (_issuing rations_).

(27) Thrust two fingers (N) toward mouth and downward (_food_).

(28) Repeated No. 25 (_house_); outlined a hemispherical object (wik-i-up); repeated these several times, bringing the hands with emphasis several times down toward the earth (_village permanently here_).

(29) Repeated No. 25 several times and pointed to a neighboring hillside (_village over there_).

(30) Repeated Nos. 17 to 21, inclusive (_General X_).

(31) Thrust two fingers forward from his eyes (primarily _I see_; also _I saw_, or _there were_).

(32) Repeated No. 11 (_toward said hillside_), (_troops went over there with General X_).

(33) Repeated No. 4, adding, swept indexes around head and touched red paper on a tobacco wrapper (_San Carlos Apaches_, scouts especially distinguished by wearing a red fillet about the head); also added, drew indexes across each cheek from nose outward (_were much painted_).

(34) Repeated No. 24 and No. 23 (_to capture the Mescalero Indians_).

(35) Repeated No. 31 (_there were_).

(36) Repeated No. 33 (_San Carlos scouts_).

(37) Repeated No. 8 (_and soldiers_).

(38) Clasped his hands effusively before his breast (_so many!_ i.e., _a great many_).

(39) Repeated No. 31 (_I saw_).

(40) Repeated No. 23 (_my people_).

(41) Brought fists together under chin, and hugged his arms close to his breast, with a shrinking motion of body (_afraid_).

(42) Struck off half of left index with right index (_half_, or _a portion_).

(43) Waved off laterally and upward with both hands briskly (_fled_).

(44) Projected circled right thumb and index to eastern horizon, thence to zenith (_next morning_, i.e., sunrise to noon).