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Show SIGNALS AND SINS AS USEPBY THE INDIAN Previous to the ndvent of civilizing Influences the Indian had an elabo rule system of signs nnd signals, tome of a friendly character but the majority ma-jority having reference entirely to war As time passed, wars became almost unknown and he encased ln more peaceful pursuits, many of his signs and slgnaH have been lost, and the present generation with few exceptions excep-tions have little or no real knowledge of them, as practiced from the date df our first knowledge of the Inclhn until the mid lie of the nineteenth centur) The smoke signals were probably the most universal nnd best known Man) of the early settleis who lo-cnlel lo-cnlel far rrom tie mntlnes of civilization civiliza-tion weie full) competent lo lead nnd Interpret the moat of them Tire' signals were also quite cmnmnnl) cm-plovel cm-plovel espedall) h) the tribes lull ib-Itiiig ib-Itiiig a. mountainous count!) Signals by means of the branches of trees arrows stones and sticks were less frequently fre-quently used though by no meuns rate Their meanings varied considerably, so muih so that few whites ever becamo thorough!) conversant with them Man) wete In teallly puiel) local and belongel particularly to the tribe using ihem This was not true ot tho smoke' and fire signals the) with 11 few-others few-others wen understood ucncrull), h) all tribes of Indian Smoke' signals were made h) me ins of a small file, built of some material mate-rial that would produce u quantity of smoke with very little active combustion combus-tion 'The hlghes' mcesslble butte or mountain was selected from which to send these or the lire signals The commonly aciepted statement that rnioke rings were caused to 111 nd Is wrong, 1 roperly speaking thev were balls or putts of smoke, or ruul) on still davs columns ot smoki tho lat. tet form bilng pilnclpall) used to at tract attention Tho ball or puff of smoke was produteel by covering a small fire momentarily with 11 buffalo elk or deer hide removing It qulekl) permitting the smoke to ascend und Immediately recovering the lire In this way quite a nrlety of slgnils could le given One ball of smoke at compat itlvely long Inleivals meint ' in ineni) Is netr" Two puffs Indl laud camp here This signal was noi Inrreqitently used to load tho en my Into an ambush Three puffs null near together with a longer space be tween eaih set of three, denote 1 grei danxer 01 'attacked by tho enem) roiu puffs In pairs with un app e. cl ible Interval between tho two pairs slgnllled I irge band of enem) help wanted ' some tribes vatled this tnethol nf signaling by hull ling tlie number of separate "smokes ns the) were termed required lo express their meaning as one two or three Sin h signals mill 1 be distinguished nt from tin tnlhitt) milts und Iho) were tare 1) or never cnntounled with 1 imp fires Ihe lookout or scout that wis a necessary adjunit of every war pirt) cspeelall) when ln u hostllo nelghhoihood seldom railed to see and report ill Blgnila given within the limit nf his vision Tire signals were used at night lor th same puipose as the smoke slgnnlH h) da) With from on to lout llrcs liullt in a line al apptnxl matel) equal dlntaneeN apart the same Information wnu renlily icnvc)e I In the vicinity of the section of country claimed as home or where the I irg-est irg-est number ot ihe tribe v ere nieim lomeil lo spend Hie winter Hum wns usually some hleh butte nr mountain Hilled Slgnnl hill nr In one Indian language We w.i I07 po 1 10m this online nee fire signals were alwa)s mu le b) order nf th rhlef nnd weie lug-ly of a tieai erul eharaitei though 01 eusion ill) signals having rerereute lei war were given rrom the signal hill but) Ihe principal use was In calling the i ople to council meetings dim is nnd rousts The method or m iklns them was is fnllmm A large lylln-dor lylln-dor six nt eight feet In diameter anil four or live feel high wns construe le 1 hv covering a Iramewnrk nf light wll lows with tinned hides s bright Hie was built In the usual situation nnl this rvllndei placed so as to completely surrnunl It The signals were then made h) alleinitely ralslm anl low erlng the cylinder temporarily expis Ing and concealing Iho light from tne Hie A stead) bright lloht on the slg mil butte slgnllled enemy gather for war This signal was well understood under-stood by man) of the enrl) sett!, rs and frequentl) presaged grler anl hoi ror for them The fire alternate ex posed and darkened nt short re guinr Inlervuls denoted a council mr ting foi the ensuing evening live ex-posures ex-posures nt short Intervals with a rnn-sldctable rnn-sldctable apace of time between each t of live signified that the buflnlo ha 1 been llscnvtred by the scouts s th e builv teams furnished the rrln Ipal ronl auipl) or Ihe ted man ln Hut di) this signal in seasons if s areltv wis welcomed with eveiy ininirestiilnn or delight sn I a hunilni puilv Ininu Uglily dlstutch I ,, nui" milt nf th game long mrlilH of light milowecl by brief spaces or dink 10s wns th Invitation to a lianc or fe at nt the tribal eUnelit ,,l m ii v iis to 1 dan e manv er n,P exp ri a d am ng the p rt , ol riv li'tlngtilsh If it v i . or e n dance Numr-ioua tribes emrlov d 11 t m 1. of ulsnallni; at nishl by mCi4M " burnlns anow that w is Identlnnl with the ' smoke and ' fire ' slunals elsewhere else-where mentioned Thec fire arrows, as they were common!) called, could not bo seen at nny very great distance but the) could be quickly nnd easily given even when the party was In motion One two or three 'Are nr rows' had the same significance nn nn equil number of 'smokes' or llres ' with the nil lltlon that 11 number num-ber of burning arrows shot rapidly Into the air conveyed the Information that they were etc Hi) outnumbered and help Imperative!) requlioel These 111 t arrows were ver) Ingenlousl) maele bj wrnpplns the head of the shaft In a 1rlety of soft slow-burning birk, which produced quite 1 bright flnme In repl)lng lo an) of theo signals It was the usu il custom to nnke the snme that hud been 1 celled, but In times of w ir 110 answer was ever le-turned le-turned fir nhvlous teusons but tho requested aid was dispatched as soon is so-slble In mciint ilnotis countries slgnils or more rlearl) speaking signs, were m ide b) the use of stones A part) of Indians traveling anl wishing or expecting others tn follow them, would frequently Urn over sood-slzed stones, A; jjflL JA 111 f fc -, If Thotofrrnph from a drnwlnp of smoke signals, mada durinp the trouble with the Bannock Indians in the fall of 1805 These signals wero numerous on the night after the orris al of tho U, S troops. selecting those with a comparatively rounded base, with the oilier extremtt) as sharply o!ntc,d ns possible, placing this point ln the dlroctlon they were traveling If they had found and were following the buffalo, threo smallei ston-s wero placed on tho surracc of that which had been overturne 1 Two small stories Indicated thut they were pursuing the enem) while one Btono In a similar position was given tho Bame Interpretation, with tho further imiort that ouslstanco was required A number of small sticks stuck In the ground near the stone rcprc entcd tho number of the party A stick split and corre tty ij l'5n bl lr7,B Instance ,yr Wet th ! some )oars 1 gn a I th took on,K hunting trpV,ar.t),!,2 iulr) w is m J,,1 . n Imj,, of llndlng anteV0'1'' & rone sixt) mil ?,." utt , tW piled In the afflrnati,. ""Hn c questioned as to "' ' M C ,1 posing gam exi"t.d?'onib. ,1 he hid Just se ,n 1". "m ' n BHtlng and at a m, .M' T, promptly show e 1 a toll !'"U t c Ing probibly IwintV S,,4t"k.i Ml pointed cxt,mutnaf;reJ?unhV K butte In question it i'M '"nr 1 been ahsolutel) eorrcrt m ' ' Information corrciicon i " above was also given v2lnf ! it boughs of trees "a,nii brunch was partlallv k2S' Io, hi ! horlrontally .n'' t pointing , , hp" i . l r travelers One t, frl . smaller branche " n(. . '! o hanr perpends ul"r hb " Identical with tlir small .?. ""' made In this minnir w"r'.",'11?-monlv w"r'.",'11?-monlv empln)e,l by tHvL.1"11" a heavily timber 1 coun 5 ' '' the sign denntinh th iT'If.! The gteon bough nf t,"1n' 1 unlversull) ,eardea "? Peace A part) approarhlnA'? camp hearing th V teki.? ,'1, celved with all the " 1 hen their errand ,& er successful or ml theTZ' sore conduct out of the rLB' enemies M ni jearV.? p,er?onnVr)tttf under this aborl,n 1 natM? wantonly shot ow ,! ' heart or hi enemy m,,! Incense I nt Iht ruel &', ? etiquette thit he ,1' raclsed cvenlu llj hini 1 ", t0d.a. ,an, nJ,Pt'J membtrcf! and tolallv 11 t n t bani or ! In the early 1,1 nry ,( J.01' the arrow heu a position '.V ,' second only to It,, uses,," securing food a-,, 3lon mR It. however form to ha; 8. carded is a sign 1 a. pcriol S with th- Introduction of nrSi the Indians elue prob,Mr"S fact that nrter tin, date ",,.'! not so comonlcntl) foanj t, i, for sign ptirpo e. The " hers of many ni gh Tlru ,r accredlf.1 to the a ow the r lm-latlons lm-latlons being v lv dlverrev i e en ariciw wis iw J8 la'd ojtTl .loor of 11 lo Ire n re a A j,h ta, taken pi c e ir glv a 1, (, , peril uous prorc lur In view 01 1 . that the SO Iforou v til -0j) nlh the desired Information to one within nil wi-jt mlz-it be tr a reeronablc dl'tnne Th arrox ond is tola) usel to ponloitth. or load mu h as r lllzatton nik-or nik-or the hand ond polntlnj hin g The recej Hon of n bundle o1 ir vvltli the birbs broken from ((, Ihe hnn 1 nf any enemy, viaa, irm rlrnlly burvlns the hatchet TI1I1 wis common with a number oft trlbcr Thee represent but a tn ol 1 list of slsinla anl signs that vrt evei)day use In Ihe haprr til cln)B or Ihe rod man, the dayibefo-was dayibefo-was conllnel to certain meiei bounds by nn advancing cIvlLi Many of these survive even tojif sticks against the lodge door, led Ing 'no one nt home One on led willow sticks fixed In ther ncir the door, denoting the numb "sleeps' thit will elapse brfot owner returns The tops of th" r denuded of birk tor a short di Implying that tome member of thi lly Is III mid has probably been. to n "nicdlilne man ' The 1 'medicine II ig ' giving evita. sickness nre nil familiar exampct tho minor signs of the present A 1 host of these might be erunen many of them In active use tlu I eclally among the leas clvilltd dtans, and doubtless scrvins a convenient use |