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,yahtEleven,sa-kum ah soo´

Two,guhloo´Twelve,sa-kum ah goo-o´

Three,yahThirteen,sa-kum ah sa-roo´

Four,vahnFourteen,sa-kum ah vah´oo

Five,neemFifteen,sa-kum ah leemo´

Six,yah-woar´Sixteen,sa-kum ah wahroo´

Seven,yah-veesh´Seventeen,sa-kum ah weeshoo´

Eight,yah-wah´Eighteen,sa-kum ah wahrew´

Nine,yah-too´Nineteen,sa-kum ah tee-o´

Ten,yah-saik´ (sake)Twenty,sa-kum ah gloo-o´

Ten,saikSixty,woar-eek´

Twenty,goowaik´Seventy,vesheek´

Thirty,sa-reek´Eighty,wahreck´

Forty,vah-eek´Ninety,tew-week´

Fifty,leemaik (leemake)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,sooSix,woarroo

Two,goo-o´Seven,veeshoo´

Three,sa-roo´Eight,tee-oo

Four,vah´oNine,wahrew´

Five,leemo´Ten,saik

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

Seemul eekah, one fishVahmul eekah, four fishes

Gwimmul eekah, two fishesNeemul eekah, five fishes

Sreemul eekah, three fishesWaw´remul eekah, six fishes

Vish-ee ahmul eekah, seven fishesToo-ee´mul eekah, nine fishes

War´remul eekah, eight fishesSaik 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 teberëe´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:

Transcriber's Notes

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:

3. The illustration "Escape to Britannia" has been moved from between page 114 and 115 to page 113.