vocabulary, comprehending the various parts of the body, and also all other objects within sight. I presented them with one copy, with their own language in one column, and the English in the other, which I told them to show to any other strangers who might hereafter pay them a visit. The other copy, as already mentioned, was unfortunately lost, and I can only call to mind the following few words:—"Warēka," or "Warēga," peace or welcome; "mabouse," come to us; "puta, puta,"—I could not satisfactorily make out the signification of this word, but imagined it meant—no danger, or, don't be afraid; "torre," iron; casse," give; "Girgir," the sun; " Kimiar," men; "Koskarail," women; "Madiēa, Oucāra, Wamaia, Wagēra," proper names of men.
Our grammatical exercises being finished, and being joined by many others, who had concluded their barter, we commenced a variety of gymnastic amusements, which were carried on with uninterrupted good humour. We had rather the advantage of the natives in wrestling, but they far surpassed us in archery; in short, it was absurd to make a comparison, nor could we help feeling mortification at our great inferiority in this respect, being so apparent: indeed, the most experienced and skilful modern European archers would have cut but a very sorry figure among these athletic savages, whose amazing feats could not have been surpassed by the English archers of olden times[1]. Their astonishing adroitness can only be attributed to their being accustomed to this exercise from their early youth. We noticed the boys—some of them very young—amusing themselves, shooting with bows and arrows, suited to their strength.
With respect to their warlike instruments and canoes, I cannot do better than insert the following very accurate description, given in Captain Flinders's Introduction to his "Voyage
- ↑ The depth (observes Captain Flinders, in describing the attack these savages made on two English vessels,) to which the arrows penetrated into the decks and sides of the ship was represented as truly astonishing.
