318 



COOK S FIRST VOYAGE 



JAN. 



English. 

 A fish, 

 Thefoot, 

 A lobster, 

 Yams, 

 To bury, 

 A moschito, 

 To scratch, 

 Coccos roots, 

 In-land, 



This similitude is particularly remarkable in the 

 words expressing number, which, at first sight, seems 

 to be no inconsiderable proof that the science at least 

 of these different people has a common root. But 

 the names of numbers in the island of Madagascar, 

 are, in some instances, similar to all these, which is a 

 problem still more difficult to solve. That the names 

 of numbers, in particular, are in a manner common 

 to all these countries, will appear from the following 

 comparative table, which Mr. Banks drew up, with 

 the assistance of a negro slave, born at Madagascar, 

 who was on board an English ship at Batavia, and 

 sent to him to gratify his curiosity on this subject. 



English. 



One, 



Tivo, 



Three, 



Four, 



Five, 



Six, 



Seven, 



Eight, 



Nine, 



Ten, 



In the language of Madagascar, there are other 

 words similar to words of the same import in the Ma- 

 lay. The nose in Malay is called Erung, at Mada- 

 gascar Ourou ; Lida, the tongue, is Lala ; Tangan, 

 the hand, is Tang ; and Tanna, the ground, is Taan. 



From the similitude between the language of the 

 Eastern Indies, and the islands of the South Sea, 

 conjectures may be formed with respect to the 



