Posted by Ed Kiser on February 24, 2004 at 05:26:54 from 64.12.96.8 user Kisered.
In Reply to: WH -Languages posted by James Elson on February 24, 2004 at 00:57:03:
The usage of "deaf and dumb" sign language is mentioned only that one time, when Captain Flint is conversing with Nancy through her bedroom window while she is under restrictions with mumps.
I checked on the word, "deaf", in all the books and this one place was the only reference to that mode of conversation. The word "deaf" appeared many times but these had nothing to do with the language of the deaf.
With regard to modes of conversation, the two flag wigwag code is given, taught to Dick by Nancy putting notes in his notebook. We get to see as an illustration these signals. She also teaches him Morse code, but we never see a page of those codes. There is a reference in WH to the letters, "N" and "P" (North Pole) as being DASH DOT, AND DOT DASH DASH DOT, so Dick did use those code Nancy showed him, but we don't get to see that system of coding like we did the two flag semaphore. That page in Dick's notebook with all the dots and dashes is never shown.
Wonder why Ransome gave his readers one table of codes but not the other.
Ed Kiser, South Florida