Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia Volume I Part 3

COLUMN 1: PALMA.

COLUMN 2: SPANISH.

COLUMN 3: ENGLISH.

Abora : Deos : G.o.d.

Adijirja : Arroyo : A Rivulet.

Asero : Lugar Fuerte : A Stronghold.

Atinariva : Puerco : A Hog.

Aguayan : Perro : A Dog.

Mayantigo : Pedazo de Cielo : Heavenly.

Tidote : Monte : A Hill.

Tiguevite : Cabra : A Goat.

Tigotan : Cielos : The Heavens.

Yruene : El Diablo : The Devil.

OF THE OTHER ISLANDS.

ALGUNAS DICCIONES DE LA LENGUA DE FUERTEVENTURA Y LANZEROTA.

(Some words of the language of Fortaventura and Lanzerota.)

COLUMN 1: FUERTEVENTURA AND LANZEROTA.

COLUMN 2: SPANISH.

COLUMN 3: ENGLISH.

Aho : Leche : Milk.

Attaha : Hombre de Valor : A Valiant Man.

Elecuenes : Adoratorio : A Place of devotion.

Guanigo : Cazuela de Barro : An earthen vessel.

Guapil : Sombrero : A Hat.

Horbuy : Cuero : A Skin or Hide.

Maxo (Ma, Glas.) : Zapatos : Shoes.

Tabite : Tarro pequeno : A small earthen pan.

Tamocen : Cebada : Barley.

Tezezes : Varas de Acebucha : Poles of the wild olive tree.

ALGUNAS DICCIONES DE LA LENGUA DEL HIERRO Y GOMERA.

(Some words of the language of Ferro and Gomera.)

COLUMN 1: FERRO AND GOMERA.

COLUMN 2: SPANISH.

COLUMN 3: ENGLISH.

Aculan : Manteca : b.u.t.ter.

Achemen : Leche : Milk.

Aemon : Agua : Water.

Banot : Garrote de Guerra : War Clubs.

Ganigo : Cazuela de Barro : An earthen vessel.

Haran : Helocho : Furze.

Fubaque : Reses gordas : Fat cattle.

Guatativoa : Un convita : A gathering to a Banquet.

Tahuyan : Bas quinas : A Petticoat of Skins.

Tamasagues : Veras largas : Long Poles.

GUANCHE BONE CAVE. AND REMARKS. MARINE BLOWING STONE.

It was in the course of my enquiries for words of the Guanche language that I accidentally heard yesterday, from an old inhabitant, of the existence of a cave in the rocks, about 3 miles to the north-east of Santa Cruz, which it was impossible to enter, but which, when examined from the sea, could be observed to be full of bones. This cave, he said, was known to the old inhabitants by the name of La Cueva de los Guanches; and according to traditionary report it had been the burying-place of the original inhabitants of this island. Several English merchants of whom I made enquiries knew nothing of it, even by report, but the master of the hotel was aware of its existence and promised to procure me guides to it.

Although this day was Sunday, yet, as I was to sail in the afternoon, the inducement was too strong to resist, and I started in a boat at 6 o'clock with Mr. Walker our surgeon, taking my geological hammer as I intended to return overland.

When we had proceeded about a mile and a half from Santa Cruz I was astonished to hear, from the rocks on the sh.o.r.e, a loud roaring noise, and to see large clouds apparently of ascending smoke. I landed to ascertain the cause of this, and found it arose from one of those hollow rocks which are sometimes seen on our own coast and are known by various names, such as blowing stones, boiling kettles, etc. etc. I had however never seen one at all to be compared to this in size. It was formed by a hole in the rocks through which the water is first poured as the waves rush in; and then is partly driven out with a loud noise through a hole far up, and partly returns, in the form of spray, by the opening through which it was at first impelled. By a.s.suming a proper position with regard to the sun a most beautiful rainbow is seen in this spray as it is dashed high into the air, and the whole is well worthy of a visit. Having collected some sh.e.l.ls and geological specimens we again embarked for the cave.

On reaching the spot we distinctly observed, from the sh.o.r.e, the mouths of two caves full of bones. As the Guanches were in the habit of embalming their dead I entertained hopes of obtaining from them a mummy, of which there are several preserved in the Canary Islands. Upon landing however I found that they were utterly inaccessible, being situated in a perpendicular rock about 150 feet above the level of high water mark, and a considerable distance beneath the summit of the cliff. I had indulged a hope of being able to swing into one of the caves by means of a rope suspended from the top, but, owing to a large rock which projects from above quite over their mouths, this would be very difficult. Several bones had been blown out of the apertures, which I collected and found them to have belonged to man, but otherwise displaying nothing remarkable.

I can scarcely entertain a doubt but these caves really were the burying-places of the ancient Guanches, yet how they were approached I cannot conceive; probably there might have been an entrance to them from the interior of the country. I searched but my time was short and I could find no traces of such. An interesting question here remains to be solved and I trust some future traveller may be induced to attempt it.

There is only one other supposition I could frame on this subject, and to this I am led from the fact of the bones lying so immediately in the caves' mouths. Could a party of the Guanches, when so oppressed and so cruelly treated by the Spaniards, have taken refuge by some means in these caverns, and afterwards, from their retreat being cut off, have found themselves unable to escape and have here perished miserably; looking out of the cavern to the last for that a.s.sistance they were never doomed to receive? If they had managed to enter these caves by a narrow pathway running along the face of the cliffs, which the Spaniards afterwards destroyed, such an occurrence might readily have taken place.

Having completed my examination I dismissed the boat and walked back to Santa Cruz, from whence we sailed at five o'clock this evening.

CHAPTER 2. TO BAHIA AND THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

ATMOSPHERICAL PHENOMENON AT SEA.

Nothing important occurred during the voyage from Tenerife to Bahia; but one atmospherical phenomenon I think is worthy at a future day of further enquiry.

I remarked constantly, just at sunset, in these lat.i.tudes, that the eastern horizon was brilliantly illuminated with a kind of mock sunset.

This in a short time disappeared, to be soon succeeded by another similar in character, but more faint. I observed at the same time, in the western horizon, the regular sunset, and then two appearances, like those seen in the east; perhaps this may be fully accounted for by a triple reflection, as in the common theory of the rainbow.

LAND AT BAHIA.

August 17.

We came in sight of the coast of South America about noon, and dropped anchor in the harbour of Bahia at four P.M.; and about half an hour after I went on sh.o.r.e with Mr. Lus.h.i.+ngton, a person of the name of Wilson taking us in his boat: there was a slave in the boat, and, not knowing that he understood English, I asked Mr. Wilson several questions about slaves in general, and he gave me a good deal of information on this subject, mentioning among other things that the price of a good slave here varied from 90 to 100 pounds, he happened to state that the slaves were wretched in their own country, and that frequently large numbers were sacrificed to their G.o.ds. I never saw so fine a burst of natural indignation as the slave in the boat evinced at this statement; his lip curled up with scorn, his dark eye grew vividly bright, and his frame quivered as he made an impa.s.sioned reply in Portuguese; I could not understand all that he said, but caught enough to know the tenor of it, that "this was not the case; Englishmen or foreigners never visited his country, so how could they know." It was not so much what he said but the scornful bitterness of his manner that made an impression on me, not easily to be effaced.

NIGHT WALK.

I took a night walk in the country this evening and experienced those wild and undescribable feelings which accompany the first entrance into a rich tropical country. I had arrived just towards the close of the rainy season, when everything was in full verdure, and new to me. The luxuriant foliage expanding in magnificent variety, the brightness of the stars above, the dazzling brilliancy of the fireflies around me, the breeze laden with balmy smells, and the busy hum of insect life making the deep woods vocal, at first oppress the senses with a feeling of novelty and strangeness till the mind appears to hover between the realms of truth and falsehood.

THE TOWN OF BAHIA.

The town of Bahia looks very beautiful from the sea; but on entering you find it dreadfully filthy. The stench of the lower town is horrible. Even the President's palace is a dirty and wretched-looking building: his salary, I understand, is 600 pounds a year. By the last returns the population of the town was 120,000, 100,000 of whom were blacks. All the burdens here are carried by slaves as there are no carts and the breed of horses is small, being perfect ponies.

The exports are cotton and sugar--the cotton chiefly to Liverpool, the sugar to all European countries but England. Their imports are English cotton goods and hardware, also various manufactured goods from Germany.

The nuns are famed for the manufacture of artificial feathers and flowers.

The fruit here is excellent, the oranges are particularly fine.

The merchants in the town are princ.i.p.ally English and German. There is no American house. Several have started but all who made the attempt have failed.