Besides The Common Language
Of The Island, And A Dialect Of That Of The Friendly Islands, We
Collected Some Words
Of a third language, chiefly current among the
inhabitants of its western hills; and we particularly obtained the
numerals of
All the three tongues, which are indeed totally extinct.
In the common language of Tanna we met with two or three words, which
have a clear affinity with the language of Mallicollo, and about the
same number corresponded with some words of the Malay; but in general
they are wholly unlike each other, and related to no other language
that I know of. There is a strong kind of aspiration, and a guttural
sound, in many words at Tanna, which are however very sonorous and
full of vowels, and therefore easily pronounced." - G.F.
[4] Captain Cook has neglected to notice the musical genius of these
people. The following remarks on it are worthy of quotation. - "As I
happened to hum a song one day, many of them very eagerly entreated me
to sing to them, and though not one of us was properly acquainted with
music, yet we ventured to gratify their curiosity, and offered them a
great variety of airs. Some German and English songs, especially of
the more lively kind, pleased them very much; but Dr Sparrman's
Swedish tunes gained universal applause; from whence it appeared that
their judgment in music was not influenced by the same rules which
regulate the taste of other countries. When we had performed, we
desired them in return to give us an opportunity of admiring their
talents, and one of them immediately began a very simple tune; it was
however harmonious, and, as for as we could judge, superior to the
music of all the nations in the tropical part of the South Sea, which
we had hitherto heard.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 735 of 885
Words from 198371 to 198678
of 239428
