Mental Evolution in Man: Origin of Human FacultyRomanes, George John
Science
Mental Evolution in Man: Origin of Human Faculty
Romanes, George John
Evolution; Psychology, Comparative
“Six weeks after this, I saw a second example of this faculty of mute
communication. This was at Naples. I was walking with a young man
of Syracuse. We passed by a sentinel. The soldier and my companion
exchanged two or three grimaces, which at another time I should not
even have noticed; but the instances I had before seen led me to give
attention. ‘Poor fellow!’ sighed my companion. ‘What did he say to
you?’ I asked. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘I thought that I recognized him as
a Sicilian, and I learned from him, as we passed, from what place he
came; he said he was from Syracuse, and that he knew me well. Then
I asked him how he liked the Neapolitan service; he said he did not
like it at all, and if his officers did not treat him better he should
certainly end by deserting. I then signified to him that if he ever
should be reduced to that extremity, he might rely upon me, and that I
would aid him all in my power. The poor fellow thanked me with all his
heart, and I have no doubt that one day or other I shall see him come.’
Three days after I was at the quarters of my Syracusan friend, when he
was told that a man asked to see him who would not give his name; he
went out and left me nearly ten minutes. ‘Well,’ said he on returning,
‘just as I said.’ ‘What?’ said I. ‘That the poor fellow would desert.’”
The instance which I select of gesture-language as employed by a
deaf-mute occurred in the National Deaf-Mute College at Washington, to
which Colonel Mallery took seven Uta Indians on March 6, 1880.
“Another deaf-mute gestured to tell us that, when he was a boy, he went
to a melon-field, tapped several melons, finding them to be green or
unripe: finally, reaching a good one, he took his knife, cut a slice
and ate it. A man made his appearance on horseback, entered the patch
on foot, found the cut melon, and, detecting the thief, threw the melon
towards him, hitting him in the back, whereupon he ran away crying. The
man mounted and rode off in an opposite direction.
“All of these signs were readily comprehended, although some of the
Indians varied very slightly in their translation. When the Indians
were asked whether, if they (the deaf-mutes) were to come to the Uta
country, they would be scalped, the answer was given, ‘Nothing would be
done to you; but we would be friends,’ as follows:—
“The palm of the right hand was brushed toward the right over that of
the left (‘nothing’), and the right made to grasp the palm of the left,
thumbs extended over, and lying upon the back of the opposing hand
(‘friends’).
“This was readily understood by the deaf-mutes. Deaf-mute sign of
milking a cow and drinking the milk was fully and quickly understood.
“The narrative of a boy going to an apple tree, hunting for ripe fruit,
and filling his pockets, being surprised by the owner and hit upon the
head with a stone, was much appreciated by the Indians and completely
understood.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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