Possibly They Might Then Learn That A State
Of Nature Is, Of All Others, Least Adapted To Promote The Happiness Of
A Being Capable Of Sublime Research And Unending Ratiocination.
That a
savage roaming for prey amidst his native deserts is a creature deformed
by all those passions which afflict and degrade our nature, unsoftened by
the influence of religion, philosophy and legal restriction:
And that the
more men unite their talents, the more closely the bands of society are
drawn and civilization advanced, inasmuch is human felicity augmented,
and man fitted for his unalienable station in the universe.
Of the language of New South Wales I once hoped to have subjoined to this
work such an exposition as should have attracted public notice, and have
excited public esteem. But the abrupt departure of Mr. Dawes, who,
stimulated equally by curiosity and philanthropy, had hardly set foot
on his native country when he again quitted it to encounter new perils
in the service of the Sierra Leona company, precludes me from executing
this part of my original intention, in which he had promised to co-operate
with me; and in which he had advanced his researches beyond the reach
of competition. The few remarks which I can offer shall be concisely
detailed.
We were at first inclined to stigmatised this language as harsh and
barbarous in its sounds. Their combinations of words in the manner they
utter them, frequently convey such an effect. But if not only their
proper names of men and places, but many of their phrases and a majority
of their words, be simply and unconnectedly considered, they will be found
to abound with vowels and to produce sounds sometimes mellifluous and
sometimes sonorous. What ear can object to the names of Colbee,
(pronounced exactly as Colby is with us) Bereewan, Bondel, Imeerawanyee,
Deedora, Wolarawaree, or Baneelon, among the men; or to Wereeweea,
Gooreedeeana, Milba*, or Matilba, among the women. Parramatta, Gweea,
Cameera, Cadi, and Memel, are names of places. The tribes derive their
appellations from the places they inhabit. Thus Cemeeragal, means the men
who reside in the bay of Cameera; Cedigal, those who reside in the bay
of Cadi; and so of the others. The women of the tribe are denoted by
adding 'eean' to any of the foregoing words. A Cadigaleean imports a woman
living at Cadi, or of the tribe of Cadigal. These words, as the reader
will observe, are accented either on the first syllable or the penultima.
In general, however, they are partial to the emphasis being laid as near
the beginning of the word as possible.
[*Mrs. Johnson, wife of the chaplain of the settlement, was so pleased
with this name that she christened her little girl, born in Port Jackson,
Milba Maria Johnson.]
Of compound words they seem fond. Two very striking ones appear in the
journal to the Hawkesbury. Their translations of our words into their
language are always apposite, comprehensive, and drawn from images
familiar to them.
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