Chapter XIII: Appendix

VOCABULARY OF THE LANGUAGE OF LORD NORTH'S ISLAND.

The language of the inhabitants of Lord North's island appears to be a new and hitherto unknown dialect of the Polynesian family of languages. According to the preceding Narrative, it was wholly unintelligible to the _Pelew_ chiefs who accompanied the crew of the Mentor when they were made captives. To judge by the _numerals_, and a few other words, which have been collected by travellers, it has a near affinity to the dialects of the neighboring _Caroline_ islands.

In the selection of words for the following vocabulary, we have principally followed the list of English words in Keate's Account of the Pelew Islands, but have added several from the Empress Catherine's Vocabulary; distinguishing by SMALL CAPITALS all the words which correspond to those in that Vocabulary. Some short dialogues are subjoined to the vocabulary.

The orthography adopted is that of the _English_ language; it being the most useful to such of our navigators as may chance to visit Lord North's island or those in its vicinity. It is only necessary to state particularly, that _ay_ is to be pronounced like _aye_, or _ah-ee_; _g_, always hard, as in _go_; _ng_, in the middle of a word, as it is at the end; as, for example, in the English word _hanger_, and not as in the word anger, (ang-ger;) and _zh_ is to be pronounced like _s_ in _pleasure_, or the French _j_.

It is proper to remark, that the words of the language here given, not having been furnished by _natives_ of the island, are to be received rather as approximations than as perfectly exact specimens of the language; but the comparisons made with kindred dialects lead us to believe, that they are as exact as are usually obtained from similar sources. Two years' residence in the island strongly impressed the language in the memory of the unfortunate captives.

And, mah.

Arm. (_See_ Hand.)

BACK, tukkalek'.

BAD, tuhmah'.

Bamboo, sheel, _or_ shil.[6]

BEARD, koosum. (_See_ Hair.)

BELLY, mish'ee-um.

Belt, (worn by the men,) tap'pah.

Big, yennup.

Bird, kar'rum.

BLACK, wayzer'ris, (wah-ee-zerris.)

Boat, prow, (prah-oo.)

BONE, cheel.

BOY. (_See_ Man.)

Brass, mullebah'dee.

Breast (of a female,) toot.[7]

Brother, biz'zheem, _or_ biz'zhim.

Canoe, (_the same as_ Boat.)

CHILD, (_of two or three years old_,) lah'bo.

Clouds, kotcho.

Cocoa-nut, (_when ripe_,) kahrah'pah; (_when very young_,) soob;
(_when the husk is so hard as to require breaking with a stone_,)
chou, _or_ chah-oo.

Cold, makkrazm'.

Come, (_verb, the same as to go_,) mo'rahbeeto.

Copper, (_the same as_ Brass.)

Cord, (small line) kreel.

Darkness, klo-wayzer'ris.

DAY, yahro, (_the same as_ Sun.)

DEAD, poo'ruk.

Dirt, yuhbur'.

Drink, (_verb_,) lim'mah.

DUST. (_See_ Dirt.)

Eat, muk'kah.

FATHER, wur'teemum; (_used also for_ Friend.)

FINGERS, kay'muk, (_the same as_ Hand.)

FIRE, yah, _or_ yahf.

Fish, ee'kah.

Fish-hook, kah-oo eekah.

Fishing net, shibbo'.

Fly, (_the insect_,) lahng.

Foot, petchem'; (_applied to the_ foot, leg, _and_ thigh.)

Friend. (_See_ Father.)

GIRL, pah'chik vay-ee'vee; (_literally_, a little woman.)

Go. (_See_ Come.)

GOOD, yissung.

GOD, yarris. (_They had images of twelve gods._)

GRASS, waw'ree.

HAIR, (_of the head_,) chim. (_See_ Beard.)

HAND, kay'muk. (_See_ Fingers.)

HEAD, mitch'eemum.

HERE, atid'dee, _or_ ettid'dee.

HOUSE. (_See_ Hut.)

Hungry, surmah'.

Hut, _or_ house, yim.

I, (myself,) nang.

Iron, pahng-ul; _also_ pishoo.

Iron hoop, chee'pah; (i. e. _pieces of iron hoops, of which they
make knives, &c._)

Kill, (_verb_,) mah'tee.

Large. (_See_ Big.)

Laugh, (_verb_,) mee'mee.

LEAF, (_of a cocoa-nut tree_,) trillah.

Leg. (_See_ Foot.)

LIGHTNING, visseeg'.

Little. (_See_ Small.)

Lizard, peelel'.

MAN, mah'ree, _or_ mah.

Many, pee'pee.

MILK, toot. (_See_ Breast.)

My, mine; e. g. _my cocoa-nut_, kahrah'pah ah nang.

Moon, muk'kum.

Mother, mish'erum.

Mouse. (_See_ Rat.)

Musquetoe, lahm.

Near to, yah peteh'to, _or_ petetto.

Night, neebo'; (_also_ by night.)

No, taw, _or_ tah-oo.

Numerals. (_See the list at the end of this vocabulary._)

Oar. (_See_ Paddle.)

Old, (i. e. from twenty years upwards,) mahzoo'-ee; very old,
mahzoo-ee ah va; _also_, butchee butch chim, _literally_, the hair
is white.

Paddle, vettel.

People, pee'pee ah mah'ree; _literally_, many men.

Rain, (it rains,) oot; it does not rain, taw oot.

Rat, tum'meeum.

Reef (of rocks,) ahrah'-oo.

Rope, tah'ree. (_See_ Cord.)

Sand, (or shoal in the sea,) pee. _This word means simply the
sand._

Sea, (salt water,) taht.

Shark, po.

Ship, waw'wee.

Short, yuhmoat', _or_ yah moat'.

Sick, makkah'kes; I am not sick, nang tay makkah'kes.

Sister, mee'ang-um.

Sleep, mus'see, _or_ mummah teed'ee.

Small, pah'chik; very small, (as a grain of sand,)
pahchik-gitchee-gee.

Son, (or daughter,) lah'bo. (_See_ Child.)

Stars, vish.

STONE, vahs.

Storm, pee'pee oot; i. e. much rain.

Strong, (in good health,) yuhkayl'.

Sun, yah'ro.

Tahboo', _the religious interdiction called_ tahboo, _which is
common in the islands of the Pacific ocean, and which is also used
in Lord North's island._

Talk, (_verb_,) tee'tree; e. g. tee'tree Inglish, talk English;
tee'tree To'bee, talk To'bee, or the language of the island.

Tattoo, (_verb_,) ver'ree-ver'-ree.

There, a-tur'nah.

Thou, _or_ you, gur.

Thunder, pah; pah zah tee'tree, it thunders; _literally_, the
thunder speaks. _When it thunders, they say_, Yarris tee'tree, God
is speaking.

To-morrow, waw'rah-zoo'rah.

Tree. (_See_ Wood.)

Turtle, wah'ree.

WATER, (fresh,) tah'roo.

----, (salt,) taht.

Whale, kahs.

What; (what is that,) mahtah'men ah menno.

WHITE, butch'ee butch.

Why, bah.

WIND, yang.

Woman, vay-ee'vee; a young woman, wer'ree-wedg vay-ee'vee.

Wood, (trees,) tummutch'ee; tabur'rah eek'ah, the stem _or_ trunk.

Yellow, arrang'.

Yes, ee'lah.

Yesterday, rollo; yesterday night, rollo neebo'.

You, _or_ thou, gur.

NUMERALS

One, yaht
Two, guhloo'
Three, yah
Four, vahn
Five, neem
Six, yah-woar'
Seven, yah-veesh'
Eight, yah-wah'
Nine, yah-too'
Ten, yah-saik' (sake)
Eleven, sa-kum ah soo'
Twelve, sa-kum ah goo-o'
Thirteen, sa-kum ah sa-roo'
Fourteen, sa-kum ah vah'oo
Fifteen, sa-kum ah leemo'
Sixteen, sa-kum ah wahroo'
Seventeen, sa-kum ah weeshoo'
Eighteen, sa-kum ah wahrew'
Nineteen, sa-kum ah tee-o'
Twenty, sa-kum ah gloo-o'

Ten, saik
Twenty, goowaik'
Thirty, sa-reek'
Forty, vah-eek'
Fifty, leemaik (leemake)
Sixty, woar-eek'
Seventy, vesheek'
Eighty, wahreck'
Ninety, tew-week'
Hundred, surbung; &c.[8]

The inhabitants of Lord North's island seldom count above a hundred; but when they wish to express a larger number they do it by a repetition of the syllable _saik_, (ten,) in this manner:--sakum ah saik, ah saik, ah saik, &c.

In counting cocoa-nuts, they use the following numerals:--

One, soo
Two, goo-o'
Three, sa-roo'
Four, vah'o
Five, leemo'
Six, woarroo
Seven, veeshoo'
Eight, tee-oo
Nine, wahrew'
Ten, saik

In counting fish they have still a different set of numbers:--

Seemul eekah, one fish
Gwimmul eekah, two fishes
Sreemul eekah, three fishes
Vahmul eekah, four fishes
Neemul eekah, five fishes
Waw'remul eekah, six fishes
Vish-ee ahmul eekah, seven fishes
War'remul eekah, eight fishes
Too-ee'mul eekah, nine fishes
Saik eekah, ten fishes

DIALOGUES IN THE LANGUAGE OF LORD NORTH'S ISLAND.

Tee'mit, tay too attee'dee, nang ver'ree-ver'ree gur; mah'ree
To'bee tay ver'ree-ver'ree man Inglish mo'ree pooruk; zahbee'to
Yarris yettah'men man Inglish.

Horace, come here, for I am going to tattoo you; if To'bee man
does not tattoo Englishman he will die; Yarris (God) will come
and Englishman will go immediately out of sight; i. e. be
destroyed.

They perform the process of tattooing by means of a little instrument, made either of a thin, flat fish-bone, or of the wing bone of a large sea-bird. The blade of the instrument (as it may be called) is about an inch long; it is fixed upon a little handle, about four inches in length, and the whole instrument may be compared to a carpenter's adz, in miniature; except that the edge, instead of being straight, and smooth for cutting, is made into teeth for puncturing the skin. This little instrument is held in the left hand, with the edge or teeth directly over the place to be punctured, and successive blows are then struck upon it, with a small stick of iron-wood, resembling a drumstick, and of about two pounds' weight, until the coloring matter is sufficiently pricked into the skin.[9]

Before commencing the operation they mix the coloring liquid (before described, page 102) in a cocoa-nut shell. They then compel you to lie down upon the ground in such a position that the part of the body which is to be tattooed shall lie uppermost. After this, with a slender, flexible stick dipped in the liquid, they mark out upon the body the figures that are to be imprinted in the skin; then they dip the teeth of the tattooing instrument in the liquid, and by successive strokes, as above mentioned, prick it into the skin, till it is completed to their taste. During the operation you are surrounded by men, women, and children, all singing a kind of chorus or song adapted to the occasion; and if any complaint escapes you, from the severe treatment of the operators, (of whom there are generally two,) the whole company strikes up a louder strain, apparently as if rejoicing. The spirited wood cut accompanying this volume gives a very correct representation of this important ceremony.

* * * * *

After captain Barnard and Rollins escaped from the island, the natives would often ask of Holden and Nute where they thought _Peeter Inglish_ (their name for the captain) was;[10] they were answered, that he was on his passage to England. They would then say,--

Ah! Peeter Inglish taw borobeeto Inglish; Peeter Inglish yepee'lif
tang ah nee mah'ree ah To'bee ah pahng-ul; Peeter Inglish mo'ree
poo'ruk woar ah taht; Peeter Inglish tee'tree tee'tree mah'ree
To'bee pee'pee pee'pee ah pahng-ul, pee'pee ah lego', pee'pee ah
mullebah'dee; shaik, man Inglish yepee'lif tuhmah'; mah'ree ah
To'bee zah so zah tee'tree Yarris, waurwa ah Inglish cher prow tay
beeto woar Inglish.

Ah! the captain will never get to England; the captain was a
thief; he had not given To'bee man any iron, and he would die
at sea; the captain talked, and talked with To'bee men, (that
they should have) much iron, great many clothes, and much
brass; for shame! Englishmen (are) all thieves and bad men;
To'bee men (are) very angry; (we) will speak to God, and he
will make the ship founder at sea, and the captain never will
arrive in England.

Whenever Holden or Nute expressed a wish to go to England, the natives would say to them,--

Gur zah beeto Inglish bah? Taw ah muk'kah woar Inglish; gur zah
beeto Inglish, gur mo'ree poo'ruk; mah'ree Inglish muk'kah ketch'ee
etch'ee, omah ah yahpuk gur mum'mee tee'dee ah To'bee, yevvers
mah'ree To'bee yissung ah mukkah.

What do you (wish to) go to England for? There is nothing to
eat in England; if you go to England you will die; Englishmen
eat rats and snails and filth; if you stay in To'bee you will
live; To'bee men have very good (food) to eat.

_Dialogue between Horace Holden and his master Pahrahbooah._

_H._ Pahrahbooah, gur zah wosheeto ah nang woar ah prow, nang zah
beeto Inglish; nang zah mum'mah tee'dee ah To'bee zah pooruk, taw
ah muk'kah woar To'bee; woar Inglish pee'pee ah muk'kah, pee'pee,
pee'pee; gur zah wosheeto ah nang woar ah prow nang zah lee ah gur
pee'pee ah pahng-ul, pee'pee ah lego', pee'pee ah mullebah'dee; gur
tay wosheeto ah nang zah poo'ruk woar ah To'bee, gur taw ah pishoo.

_H._ Pahrahbooah, if you will put me on board of a ship I will
go to England; if I remain at To'bee (Lord North's) I shall
die, for there is nothing to eat on To'bee; in England, much
food, much, much; and if you will put me on board of a ship, I
will give you much iron, many clothes, and much brass; if you
do not put me (on board) I shall die on To'bee, and you (will
get) no iron.

_P._ Hah, nang tay wosheeto ah gur; gur tee'tree tuhmah; gur tang
ah nee nang ah pahng-ul; Peeter Inglish yepee'lif, gur yepee'lif,
mah'ree ah Inglish yepee'lif, senah-messen'; tuhmah man Inglish;
gur mummah tee'dee woar To'bee, zah pooruk ah To'bee.

_P._ Ah! I will not let you go; you talk bad; you will not
give me any iron; Peeter Inglish is a thief, you are a thief,
all Englishmen (are) thieves and liars; Englishmen (are) bad
men; you (are) to stay on To'bee, to die on To'bee.

_Another Dialogue between the same persons._

_P._ Tee'mit, gur zah beeto Inglish gur zahnee mah'ree To'bee ah
pahng-ul, yennup way'sa teberee'kah yennup ah tepo'ee ah waus'sa,
ah lego', kah-oo eekah, zis ah pishoo' ah teet ah tuv'vatif, ah
mullebah'dee, zah beeto To'bee zah lee wur'teemum ah gur?

_P._ Horace, if you go to England will you give the men of
To'bee iron of a large size, as big as a stick of wood, and
big axes, and knives, and cloth, and fish-hooks, an anvil and
hammer, and needles, a trunk, and brass, and then come back to
To'bee and give them to your father?

_H._ Ee'lah, nang zah beeto Inglish nang zahnee mahree To'bee ah
pahng-ul yennup, ah tepo'-ee, ah waus'sa, ah lego', kah-oo eekah,
zis ah pishoo', ah teet, ah tuv'vatif, ah mullebah'dee, zah beeto
To'bee, zah lee wur'teemum ah nang.

_H._ Yes, I will go to England, and I will give to the men of
To'bee iron of a large size, and big axes, and knives, and
cloth, and fish-hooks, an anvil, and needles, and trunks, and
brass, and then come back to To'bee and give them to my
father.

_P._ Gur zah beeto Inglish gur dee mum'mah tee'dee woar Inglish,
taw borobee'to To'bee, gur zah yuh-woon; tuhmah taw muhpeer klo
dung-ah-rang-us.

_P._ If you go to England you will stop (sleep) there, and not
return to To'bee; this (will be) bad and not friendly, and you
will be a bad man.

_H._ Nang zah beeto Inglish, nang dak mum'mah teedee woar Inglish,
nang zah beeto To'bee.

_H._ If I go to England I will not stop (sleep) there, but
return to To'bee immediately.

_P._ Gur too-ay-go'rah beeto Inglish, gur mo'ree pooruk woar ah
taht, gur tay beeto To'bee.

_P._ You do not know the way to England; you will die (or be
lost) at sea, and not come to To'bee.

_H._ Hah! nang yego'rah beeto Inglish, taw mo'ree pooruk woar ah
taht.

_H._ Aye, I do know the way to England; I shall not die (or be
lost) at sea.

_P._ Gur ahnee ah prow woar Inglish, pee'pee ah pahng-ul, ah lego',
kahrahpah, ah vay-ee'vee pee'pee, ah mahree pee'pee, ah lah'bo?

_P._ Have you got ships in England, and a great deal of iron,
and cloths and cocoa-nuts, and many men, women, and children?

_H._ Eelah, nang yuhwo' ah prow woar Inglish, pee'pee ah pahng-ul,
ah lego', kahrahpah ah vay-ee'vee, pee'pee ah mah'ree, pee'pee ah
lah'bo.

_H._ Yes, I have got ships in England, much iron, and cloths,
and cocoa-nuts, and women, and a great many men and children.

_P._ Gur mukkah woar Inglish pee'pee?

_P._ Do you eat in England a plenty?

_H._ Eelah, nang mukkah woar Inglish pee'pee.

_H._ Yes, in England I eat a plenty, (or much.)

_P._ Tee'mit, gur zah beeto Inglish woshee'to ah pahng-ul woshee'to
ah lego', ah mullebah'dee, ah tepo-ee, ah kah-oo eekah, mo'ree
To'bee zah lee mah'ree To'bee, gur muhpeer, gur yissung ah mah'ree,
muhpeer muhpeer.

_P._ Horace, if you go to England, and fetch us iron, and
cloths, and brass, and axes, and fish-hooks, to To'bee, and
give them to To'bee men, you (will be) our friend, a very
good man, a very great friend; (_literally_, a friend, a
friend.)

_H._ Eelah, nang zah beeto Inglish, nang wosheeto ah pahng-ul,
wosheeto ah lego', ah mullebah'dee, ah tepo-ee, ah kah-oo eekah,
woar To'bee zah lee mah'ree To'bee.

_H._ Yes, (if) I go to England I will fetch you iron, and
fetch cloths and brass, and axes and fish-hooks, to To'bee,
and give them to the people of To'bee.

_P._ Tee'mit, gur zah beeto Inglish gur tay beeto To'bee, mah'ree
To'bee zah tee'tree Yarris, gur moree pooruk.

_P._ Horace, if you go to England and do not come back to
To'bee, the men of To'bee will talk to God and you will die.

_H._ Nang zah beeto Inglish, nang de mummah tee'dee, ah turt zah
beeto To'bee.

_H._ I will go to England and stop a short time, (i. e. sleep
there,) and shall return to To'bee.

_P._ Tee'mit, gur zah beeto venne Yarris, gur tay beeto, gur mo'ree
pooruk.

_P._ Horace, if you do not go to Yarris' house, (i. e. the
place of worship,) you will die.

_H._ Tur pay; nang zah beeto.

_H._ Wait a minute; I will go.

Verrah mahtah gur?

What is your name?

FOOTNOTES:

[6] No bamboo grows on Lord North's island, but it frequently drifts ashore, and the natives make knives of it.

[7] Used also by the Pelew Islanders.

[8] _Numerals of the Caroline Islands, from the Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean, 4to, London, 1799._

One, iota
Two, rua
Three, toloo
Four, tia
Five, leema
Six, honoo
Seven, fizoo
Eight, wartow,
Nine, shievo
Ten, segga

[9] Tattooing instruments may be seen in the valuable East India museum, at Salem; and perhaps in some of the museums in Boston.

[10] What the import of this name _Peeter_ was, we are unable to determine. They gave the same appellation to a character of great celebrity in their history, whose entire name was _Peeter Kart_; and who, according to their traditions, came from the island of Ternate, many years ago, and gave them their religion and such simple arts as they possessed. They said he was of a copper color, like themselves.

* * * * *

[Transcriber's Notes:

The transcriber made these changes to the text to correct obvious errors:

1. The author was inconsistent in his use of accents with some of the
words in the language of Lord North's island. This inconsistency
remains as originally published.
2. Some of the last words of the native's dialogue was moved to
the previous page for readibility. This occured on the following
pages:
130 text moved to page 129
131 text moved to page 130
133 text moved to page 132
3. The illustration "Escape to Britannia" has been moved from between
page 114 and 115 to page 113.

End of Transcriber's Notes]