[1] Since reading this article before the Society, Prof. S. S. Haldeman
has shown me a copy of a work with the title: "_Die Geschichte von der
Marterwoche, Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt unsers Herrn und Heilandes
Jesu Christi. Uebersetzt in die Aruwackische Sprache und erklärend
umschrieben. Philadelphia: Gedruckt bey Carl List, 1799_," 8vo. pages
213, then one blank leaf, then 40 pages of "Anmerkungen." There is also
a second title, in Arawack, and neither title page is included in the
pagination. The Arawack title begins: "_Wadaijahun Wüüssada-goanti,
Wappussida-goanti baddia Jesus Christus_," etc. The remarks at the end
are chiefly grammatical and critical, and contain many valuable hints to
the student of the language. I have no doubt this book is the Life of
Christ mentioned in the text. The name of the translator or editor is
nowhere mentioned, but I have no doubt Mr. Schultz wrote the
"Anmerkungen," and read the proof, as not only are his grammatical signs
and orthography adopted throughout, but also we know from other sources
that he was in Philadelphia at that time.
[2] Brett, _The Indian Tribes of Guiana_, p. 117 (London, 1868).
[3] _Etudes Philologiques sur quelquee[TN-12] Langues Sauvages de
l'Amerique_, p. 87 (Montreal, 1866).
[4] _Beiträge zur Ethnographie und Sprachenkunde Amerika's zumal
Brasiliens_, B. I., p. 705 (Leipzig, 1867).
[5] De Laet. _Novus Orbis_, lib. xvii., cap. vi.
[6] Martius, _Ethnographie und Sprachenkunde Amerika's_, B. I., S. 687.
[7] Antonio Julian, _La Perla de la America, la Provincia de Santa
Marta_, p. 149.
[8] _Ethnographie, etc._, B. I., S. 714.
[9] _The Myths of the New World; a Treatise on the Symbolism and
Mythology of the Red Race of America_, p. 32 (New York, 1868).
[10] _The Discoverie of Guiana_, p[TN-13] 4 (Hackluyt, Soc., London,
1842).
[11] _Relation de l'Origine, etc., des Caraibes_, p. 39 (Paris, 1674).
[12] "Havia mas policia entre ellos [los Lucayos,] i mucha diversidad de
Lenguas." _Hist. de las Indias_, cap. 41.
[13] Las Casas, in the _Historia General de las Indias Occid[TN-14]_,
lib. III, cap. 27, criticizes him severely.
[14] Columbus says of the Bahamas and Cuba: "toda la lengua es una y
todos amigos" (Navarrete, _Viages_, Tomo I, p. 46.) The natives of
Guanahani conversed with those of Haiti "porque todos tenian una
lengua," (_ibid_, p. 86.) In the Bay of Samana a different dialect but
the same language was found (p. 135).
[15] Gomara says the language of Cuba is "algo diversa," from that of
Espanola. (_Hist. de las Indias_, cap. 41.) Oviedo says that though the
natives of the two islands differ in many words, yet they readily
understand each other. (_Hist. de las Indias_, lib. XVII. cap. 4.)
[16] The American Nations, chap. VII, (Philadelphia, 1836.)
[17] _Cuba, die Perle der Antillen_, p. 72. (Leipzig, 1831.) The
vocabulary contains 33 words, "_aus dem Cubanischen_." Many are
incorrect both in spelling and pronunciation.
[18] When Columbus returned from his first voyage, he brought with him
ten natives from the Bay of Samana in Haiti, and a few from Guanahani.
[19] See the remarks of Richardo in the Prologo to his _Diccionario
Provincial_.
[20] The remarks of Peter Martyr are; "posse omnium illarum linguam
nostris literis Latinis, sine ullo discrimine, scribi compertum est,"
(_De Rebus Oceanicis et Novo Orbe_, Decades Tres, p. 9.) "Advertendum
est, nullam inesse adspirationem vocabulis corum, quae non habeat
effectum literae consonantis; immo gravius adspirationem proferunt, quam
nos f consonantem. Proferendumque est quicquid est adspiratum eodum
halitu quo f, sed minime admoto ad superiores dentes inferiore labello,
ore aut aperto ha, he hi, ho, hu, et concusso pectore. Hebraeos et
Arabicos eodem modo suas proferre adspirationes vides," (id. pp. 285,
286.)
[21] There was a ball-ground in every village. It was "tres veces mas
luenga que ancha, cercada de unos lomillos de un palmo o dos de alto."
The ball was "como las de viento nuestras mas no cuanto al salto, que
era mayor que seis de las de viento." (Las Casas, _Historia
Apologetica_, caps. 46, 204.) Perhaps the ball was of India rubber.
[22] "Gue ou Gui, signal de vocativo, mas so empregado pelos homems."
Dias _Diccionario da Lingua Tupy chamada Lingua Geral dos Indigenas do
Brazil_, p. 60 (Lipsia, 1858).
[23] _De Rebus Oceanicis_, p. 303.
[24] _Hist. de las Indias_, lib. xvii. cap. 4, Las Casas denies the
story, and says Oviedo told it in order to prejudice people against the
natives (_Hist. Gen. de las Indias_, lib. iii. cap. xxiv). It is,
however, probably true.
[25] _Historia Apologetica_, cap. 198.
[26] He compares the signification of _ita_ in Haytian to _ita_ in
Latin, and translates the former _ita_ by _no se_; this is plainly an
error of the transcriber for _yo se_ (_Hist. Apologetica_, cap. 241).
[27] _Kuba_ in Arawack is the sign of past time and is used as a prefix
to nouns, as well as a suffix to verbs. _Kubakanan_ ancestors, those
passed away, those who lived in past times.
[28] "Toda la mas de la gente de que estaba poblaba aquella isla [Cuba]
era passada y natural desta ysla Espanola, puesto que la mas antigua y
natural de aquella ysla era como la de los Lucayos de quien ablamos en
el primero y segundo libro ser como los seres que parecia no haber
pecado nuestro padre Adan en ellos, gente simplicissima, bonissima,
careciente de todos vicios, y beatissima. Esta era la natural y native
de aquella ysla, y llamabanse en su lengua, Ciboneyes, la penultima
silaba luenga; y los desta por grado o por fuerza se apodearon de
aquella ysla y gente della, y los tenian como sirvientes suyos." (Las
Casas _Hist. Gen. de las Indias_, MSS. lib. iii, cap. 21). Elsewhere
(cap. 23) he says this occurred "mayormente" after the Spaniards had
settled in Haiti.
[29] "Lucayos o por mejor decir Yucayos" says Las Casas, (_Hist. Gen._
lib. ii. cap. 44) and after him Herrera. But the correction which was
based apparently on some supposed connection of the word with _yuca_,
the Haitian name of an esculent plant, is superfluous, and Las Casas
himself never employs it, nor a single other writer.
[30] Las Casas. _Hist. Gen. de las Indias_, lib. iv. cap. 48, MSS. Bees
were native to Yucatan long before the discovery, but not to the north
temperate zone.
[31] "Varia enim esse idiomata in varils Cubae provinelis perpenderunt."
(Pet. Martyr, _De Rebus Oceanicis_, v. 42). Las Casas says that a sailor
told Columbus that he saw one Indian cacique in a long white tunic who
refused to speak, but stalked silently away. (_Hist. de las Indias_,
lib. I. cap. 95). Martyr says there were several. Peschel suggests they
were tall white flamingoes, that scared the adventurous tar out of his
wits. (_Geschichte des Zeitalters der Entdeckungen_, p. 253). At any
rate the story gives no foundation at all for Peter Martyr's
philogical[TN-15] opinion.
[32] Pet. Martyr, _De Insulis Nuper Inventis_, p. 335. "Traia consigo
Grisalva un Indio per lengua de los que de aquella tierra habian llevado
consigo a la ysla de Cuba Francisco Hernandez.[TN-16] Las Casas _Hist.
Gen. de las Indias_, lib. III, cap. 108, MSS. See also the chaplain's
account in Terneaux Compans, _Recueil de Pieces rel. a la Conquête de
Mexique_, p. 56.
[33] Bernal Dias says the vicinity of cape San Antonio was inhabited by
the "Guanataneys que son unos Indias como salvages." He expressly adds
that their clothing differed from that of the Mayas, and that the Cuban
natives with him could not understand the Maya language. _Historia
Verdadera_, cap. II.
[34] "Presso capite, fronte lata" (Nicolaus Syllacius, _De Insulis nuper
Inventis_, p. 86. Reprint, New York, 1859. This is the extremely rare
account of Columbus' second voyage). Six not very perfect skulls were
obtained in 1860, by Col. F. S. Heneken, from a cavern 15 miles
south-west from Porto Plata. They are all more or less distorted in a
discoidal manner, one by pressure over the frontal sinus, reducing the
calvaria to a disk. (J. Barnard Davis, _Thesaurus Craniorum_, p. 236,
London, 1867. Mr. Davis erroneously calls them Carib skulls).
[35] The provinces of Cuba are laid down on the _Mapa de la Isla de Cuba
segun la division de los Naturales_, por D. Jose Maria de la Torre y de
la Torre, in the _Memorias de la Sociedad Patriotica de la Habana_,
1841. See also Felipe Poey, _Geografia de la Isla de Cuba_, Habana,
1853. _Apendice sobre la Geografia Antigua._ Las Casas gives the five
provinces of Hayti by the names of their chiefs, Guarinox, Guacanagari,
Behechio, Caonabo and Higuey. For their relative position see the map in
Charlevoix's _Histoire de l'Isle San Domingue_, Paris, 1740, and in
Baumgarten's _Geschichte von Amerika_, B. II.
[36] This was Caonabo. Oviedo, and following him Charlevoix, say he was
a Carib, but Las Casas, who having lived twenty years in Haiti
immediately after the discovery, is infinitely the best authority, says:
"Era de nacion Lucayo, natural de las islas de los Lucayos, que se pasó
de ellas aca." (_Historia Apologetica_, cap. 179, MSS[TN-17]).
[37] I put the figures very low. Peter Martyr, whose estimates are the
lowest of any writer, says there were more than 200,000 natives on Haiti
alone. (_De Rebus Oceanicis_, p. 295.)
[38] More than 40,000 were brought to Haiti to enjoy the benefits of
Christian instruction, says Herrera, with what might pass as a ghastly
sarcasm. (_Historia General de las Indias_, Dec. I, lib. VIII. cap. 3).
[39] _Brevissima Relacion de la Destruccion de las Indias Occidentales
par los Castellanos_, Sevilla, 1552.
[40] Ramon de de[TN-18] la Sagra, _Historia de la Isla de Cuba_, Tom. II,
p. 381.
[41] Ibid, p. 394.
[42] Ibid, p. 396.
[43] Ibid, p. 414.
[44] Ibid, p. 385. These references to De la Sagra's work are all to the
original documents in his Appendix.
[45] Las Casas knew Pane personally, and gives his name correctly (not
_Roman_, as all the printed authorities have it). He described him as
"hombre simple y de buena intencion;" "fuese Catalan de nacion y no
habla del todo bien nuestra lengua Castellana." Ramon came to Haiti four
or five years before Las Casas, and the latter speaks of him in a
disparaging tone. "Este Fray Ramon escudrino lo que pudó, segun lo que
alcanzo de las lenguas que fueron tres, las que habia en esta ysia: pero
no supo sino la una de una chica provincia, que arriba dejimos llamarse
Macaria de abajo, y aquella no perfectamente.[TN-19] (_Historia
Apologetica, MSS._[TN-20] cap. 120, see also cap. 162). This statement is
not quite true, as according to Las Casas' own admission Pane dwelt two
years in the province of Guarinoex, where the _lengua universal_ was
spoken, and _there_ collected these traditions.
[46] Pane's account was first published in the _Historie del
Frenando[TN-21] Colombo_, Venetia, 1571, from which it has recently been
translated and published with notes by Brasseur de Bourbourg, Paris,
1864. The version of Zuane de Strozi is in the Appendix to Harrisse's
_Bibliotheca Primordia Americana_, p. 474.
[47] _The myths of the New World_, (New York, 1868).
[48] See the work last quoted, p. 156, for a number of similar myths of
the trinity of the storm.
[49] I take these as they are related in Bretts, _Indian Tribes of
Guiana_, Part ii, chap. x.
[50] The most trustworthy author is Las Casas. As his works are still in
manuscript, I give his words. "Tres lenguas habia en esta ysla distintas
que la una a la otra no se entendia. La una era de la gente que
llamabamos Macorix de abajo y la otra de los vecinos del Macorix de
arriba. La otra lengua fue la universal de toda la tierra, y esta era
mas elegante y mas copiosa de vocablos, y mas dulce al sonido. En esto
la de Xaragua en todo llevaba ventaja, y era mui mas prima." (_Historia
Apologetica_, cap. 197). "Es aqui de saber que un gran pedajo de esta
costa (that of the northern part of Haiti), bien mas de veinte y cinco o
treinta leguas y quince buenas y aun veinte de ancho hasta las sierras
que haren desta parte del norte la gran Vega inclusive, era poblado de
una gente que se llamaron Mazoriges, y otras Ciguayos, y tenian diversas
lenguas de la universal de todas las islas." (_Historia General_, lib.
I, cap. 77). "Llamaban Ciguayos porque trayan todos los cabellos mui
luengos como en Nueva Castilla las mujeres," (id. cap. 77). The cacique
of the Ciguayos was named Mayomanex or Mayobanex, (id. lib. I, cap.
120). They went almost naked, and had no arms, "eran Gallinas almenos
para con los uños, como no tuviesen armas," (id. cap. 120.)
[51] Pigafetta, _Reise um die Welt_, so. 21, 26, 247, (Gotha, 1802; a
translation of the Italian original in the library at Milan).