ordinary finger manipulation, but a gesture of the entire hand as well. It
is a common thing to find something of the kind to indicate the completion
of 5 or 10, and in one or two instances it has already been alluded to.
Sometimes one or both of the closed fists are held up; sometimes the open
hand, with all the fingers extended, is used; and sometimes an entirely
independent gesture is introduced. These are, in general, of no special
importance; but one custom in vogue among some of the prairie tribes of
Indians, to which my attention was called by Dr. J. Owen Dorsey,[82] should
be mentioned. It is a gesture which signifies multiplication, and is
performed by throwing the hand to the left. Thus, after counting 5, a wave
of the hand to the left means 50. As multiplication is rather unusual among
savage tribes, this is noteworthy, and would seem to indicate on the part
of the Indian a higher degree of intelligence than is ordinarily possessed
by uncivilized races.

In the numeral scale as we possess it in English, we find it necessary to
retain the name of the last unit of each kind used, in order to describe
definitely any numeral employed. Thus, fifteen, one hundred forty-two, six
thousand seven hundred twenty-seven, give in full detail the numbers they
are intended to describe. In primitive scales this is not always considered
necessary; thus, the Zamucos express their teens without using their word
for 10 at all. They say simply, 1 on the foot, 2 on the foot, etc.
Corresponding abbreviations are often met; so often, indeed, that no
further mention of them is needed. They mark one extreme, the extreme of
brevity, found in the savage method of building up hand, foot, and finger
names for numerals; while the Zuñi scale marks the extreme of prolixity in
the formation of such words. A somewhat ruder composition than any yet
noticed is shown in the numerals of the Vilelo scale,[83] which are:

1. agit, or yaagit.