Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples Part 47

(113) Repeated No. 86--_paddling_.

(114) Repeated the preceding gesture, executing the movement only once very emphatically--_vigorously_.

(115) Waved the finger toward the place of the setting sun, following the direction with the eye--_day is near its close_.

(116) Repeated No. 69, more emphatically--_feeling very cold_.

(117) Repeated No. 70--_Ga-bi-wa bi-ko-ke_.

(118) Made sign for _without_, dropping the hands powerless at the sides, with a corresponding movement of head--_exhausted_.

(119) Pointed with finger toward the light-house and drawing back the finger a little, pushed it forward in the same direction, fully extending the arm--_that distance_, i.e., _one mile beyond light-house_.

(120) Elevated both hands to height of shoulder, fingers extended toward the right, backs upward, moving them horizontally forward--left foremost--with an impetuous motion toward the last--_drifted out_.

(121) Repeated No. 86, executing the movement a series of times without interruption and very energetically--_paddling steadily and vigorously_.

(122) Pointed with the left forefinger to his breast--_I myself_.

(123) Waved the thumb of the same hand over to left side without interrupting motion of hand--_and Sabadis_.

(124) Moved the extended left--back upward, fingers slightly joined--toward left side, and downward a few inches--_sh.o.r.e_.

(125) Elevated it to level of eyes, fingers joined and extended, palm toward the right, approaching it toward the face by a slow interrupted movement--_drawing nearer and nearer_.

(126) Drawing a deep breath--_relieved_.

(127) Repeated No. 86 very emphatically--_paddling with increased courage and vigor_.

(128) Gazed and pointed northeastward, shading the eyes with the hand, at the same time pus.h.i.+ng the left--bent downward at wrist, palm backward--forward in that direction, arm fully extended, fingers separated and pointing ahead at termination of motion--_out there at a great distance_.

(129) Made a lateral movement with the hand flat and extended over the field of ice in front of him--_the ice-field_.

(130) Described a series of waves with the flat and extended left, back upward, horizontally outward--_sea getting turbulent_.

(131) Joyously flourished the hand above head, while p.r.o.nouncing the word _ke-ya-bi_--_only yet_.

(132) Pointed the finger toward the upturned root of a tree a few yards off, thence carrying it forward directed it toward the sh.o.r.e in front--_a few yards from sh.o.r.e_.

(133) Pointing toward the sun first, he placed palms of both hands in opposition vertically, a s.p.a.ce of only an inch or two intervening, with a glance sideways at the height thus indicated--_the sun just setting_.

(134) Made three vigorous strokes with the imaginary paddle--_three more paddle-strokes_.

(135) Moved both hands (flat and extended, backs upward) evenly and horizontally toward the left, terminating the movement by turning hands almost perpendicularly upward at wrist, thus arresting them suddenly--_the ice-raft runs up against the sh.o.r.e_.

(136) Lastly threw up the hand perpendicularly above head, and bringing it down, placed the palm gently over the heart with an air of solemnity--_we are saved_.

_Free translation of the story_.

Many years ago--my hair, then black and smooth, has since turned gray; I was then in the prime of life; you, I suppose, were a young lad at that time--the following incident occurred to me:

Yonder on the ice, two miles eastward, I was one day fis.h.i.+ng in company with two others, the old Gabiwabikoke and his son John Baptist. It was about ten o'clock in the morning--a fresh breeze from the southwest had previously been getting up--when the hook-line which I was playing up and down began to take an oblique course as though it were moved by a current. Surprised, I looked up and around me. When glancing toward the south I saw a dark streak stretching from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e across the bay; the ice had parted and the wind was carrying it out toward the open lake. In an instant I had wound up my hook-line, picked up my hatchet and snow-shoes, which I put on my feet, and hurried--the others following my example--toward the nearest point of land, yonder where the light-house stands. The wind was increasing and we traveled as fast as we could. There we arrived at the very edge of the ice, a streak of water about one hundred yards in width extending northward along the sh.o.r.e as far as we could see. What to begin with, nothing but a single hatchet? We were in a bad situation. Well, something had to be done. I measured off a square piece on the ice and began cutting it off with the hatchet, a hard and tedious labor. The ice was only eight inches thick, but slush and water covered it to the depth of a foot. I soon had my mittens and trowsers wringing wet and began to feel cold and tired. The old Gabiwabikoke was in a worse state than I. His son next took the hatchet and we all worked by turns. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when we finished our work. With the help of our snow-shoes (stemming their tail-ends against the edge of the solid ice), we succeeded in pus.h.i.+ng off our raft. Turning our snow-shoes the other way (using their tails as handles), we commenced paddling with them toward the sh.o.r.e. It was a very slow progress, as the wind drifted us outward continually. John Baptist managed to twist our three hook-lines into a strong cord, and tying the hooks together in the shape of an anchor, he threw it out toward the sh.o.r.e. Hauling in the line the hooks dragged over the smooth rock bottom and would not catch. Repeated trials were of no avail. We all resumed our former attempt and paddled away with increased energy. The day was drawing near its close, and we began to feel the cold more bitterly. Gabiwabikoke was suffering badly from its effects and was entirely played out. We had already drifted more than a mile beyond the light-house point. John Baptist and I continued paddling steadily and vigorously, and felt relieved and encouraged when we saw the sh.o.r.e draw near and nearer. The ice-field, by this time, was miles away to the northeast, and a sea was getting up. At last, just when the sun was setting, only a few yards separated us from the sh.o.r.e; three more paddle-strokes and our raft ran up against the beach. We were safe.

_The oral part of the story in the language of the narrator, with a literal translation into English._

(1) _Men'wija_ a long time ago

(2) _aw ninisis'san_ this my hair

(3) _me'gwa giijina'gwak tibi'shko aw_ while it looked like that

(4) _me'gwa gimashkaw'isian_ while I possessed strength

(5) _kin dash_ you and (i.e., and you)

(6) _ga'nabatch kikwiwi'sensiwina'ban_ perhaps (probably) were a boy

(7) _mi'iw_ very well

(8)-(10) _iwe'di_ there

(11)(12) _nin be'jig_ I one

(13) _mi'nawa_ again (furthermore)

(14) _Gabiwa'bikoke_ "The Miner"

(15) _akiwen'si_ old man

(16) Expressed by gesture only.

(17) The same as No. 13.

(18) _ogwis'san ga'ie, Sabadis_ his son too, John Baptist.

(19) _mi minik'_ so many

(20)(21) Gestures only.

(22) _mi wa'pi_ thus far, i.e., at that time.

(23) _we'ai gion'din_ then the wind blew from

(24) _me'gwa nin wewe'banabina'ban_ while I was (in the act of) fis.h.i.+ng with the hook _nin'goting gonin'gotchi_ at one time somewhere (out of its course) _oda'bigamo nimigis'skane'ab_ was drawn my hook line

(25) _a'nin ejiwe'bak_?

how it happens?

(26) Gesture only.