Mar 9, 1789 Home Logbook Mar 11, 1789
Revised Jun 29 2021
241)
Fresh Breezes and dark cloudy Wr. with very heavy Rain, Thunder and Lightning. Wind NW, WSW and West. Therr. 81° to 82¼°.
Employed as the weather would permit. Sick List as yeaterday. Sufficient supplies.
Much Sea continues in Matavai and into Taowne Harbour. The long continuance of this Westerly Wind also sets a heavy Sea in on all the Reefs, so that the Ship has some motion even in this Secure place.
This bad weather retards us much in the duty of the ship. I however at all events keep the People free from the Rain, and I have the happyness to see them all more free of Colds than I might reasonably expect.
Tynah and Iddeeah as usual came off to dine with me. They are always attentive to supply me with fresh Breadfruit at all my meals also with Plantains and latterly with some Sweet Potatoes and Tarro. The tops of the Tarro makes a fine Spinage Green, and we have abundance of wild Cresses very like what is called Peppercase, which makes an excellent Sallad, and is boiled in large quantities among the broth.
I am now finally satisfyed with respect to these peoples skill in numeration. It is as follows.
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Attaigh................1 Arrooah................2 They have no way of expressing eleven twelve Tauroo.................3 &ca. &ca. as we do, but count the digits Hayah..................4 over again and call twenty attaigh taou Areema.................5 or rather taow. Awhennee They then by help of the digits count by Aono }..............6 twenties up to 200 which is called Row Aheitoo................7 saying ahooroo taow attaigh Row that Awarro.................8 is ten times twenty is 200. Aheiva.................9 ahooroo...............10 Attaigh taow..........20 Arrooah taow..........40 They then by help of the digits count by Tauroo taow...........60 200 at a time up to 2000 which is called Hayah taow............80 attaigh Manno no tirow—or Manno. Areema taow..........100 Awhennee taow........120 They then count by 2000 at a time as Aheitoo taow.........140 before up to 20000 which is called Awarroo taow.........160 Mannnoyou. Aheiva taow..........180 Then by 20000 at a time up to 200000 Ahooroo taow which is called Manno tynnee and Attaigh row }........200 here they end, expressing any numbers Arrooah row..........400 that in their Idea exceed this, by a Tauroo row...........600 repetition of the word Manno, Manno, Hayah row............800 Manno, which is many many thousands, Areema row..........1000 numbers innumerable Awhennee row........1200 Aheitoo row.........1400 Awarroo row.........1600 Aheiva row..........1800 Ahooroo row is Attaigh Manno no terow }......2000
Mar 9, 1789 Home Logbook Mar 11, 1789