_ time. In
speaking of "arm," "hand," "finger," &c., the "right" is understood if
not otherwise specified. "Finger" stands for "forefinger."

(1) With the exclamation "_me-wi-ja_" (a long time ago), uttered in
a slow and peculiarly emphatic manner, he elevated the arm above and
toward the right at the head, accompanying the motion with an upward
wave of the hand and held it thus suspended a moment--_a long time
ago_. (This gesture resembles sign for _time, a long_, of which it
seems to be an abbreviation, and it is not sufficiently clear without
the accompanying exclamation.) Withdrawing it slowly, he placed the
hand back upon his knee.

(2) He then brought up the left hand toward the temple and tapped his
hair, which was gray, with the finger--_hair gray_.

(3) From thence he carried it down upon the thigh, placing the
extended finger perpendicularly upon a fold of his trousers, which
the thumb and finger of the right held grasped in such a manner as to
advantageously present the smooth black surface of the cloth--_of that
color_, i.e., _black_.

[Illustration: Fig. 319--Scene of Na-wa-gi-jig's story.]

(4) Next, with a powerful strain of the muscles, he slowly stretched
out the right arm and fist and grasping the arm about the elbow with
the left, he raised the forearm perpendicularly upward, then brought
it down with force, tightening the grasp in doing so (fingers pressing
upon knuckle, thumb against pit of elbow)--_strength_.

(5) Pointing first at me--_you_.

(6) He next held out the hand horizontally and flat, palm downward,
about four feet above the ground, correcting the measure a moment
afterward by elevating hand a few inches higher, and estimated the
height thus indicated with a telling look, leaning the head toward the
side--_about that height_, i.e., _a youth of about that size_.

(7) He then rapidly extended the arm about two-thirds of its length
forward and toward the right, terminating the motion with a jerk of
the hand upward, palm turned outward, and accompanied the motion with
a nod of the head, the hand in its downfall closing and dropping upon
knee--_very well_.

(8) Musing a few moments, he next slowly extended the arm and pointed
with the fingers toward and along the surface of the frozen bay--_out
there_.

(9) In an easterly direction--_eastward_.

(10) Thence turning the arm to the right he nodded the finger toward
a projection of land southward at a distance of about two
miles--