THEPACIFICOCEAN. 335 



particular manner, by clafliing the tongue partly againft 177?- 

 the roof of the mouth, with confiderablc force ; and may <■■ « ■-» 

 be compared to a very coarfe or harfli method of lifping. It 

 is difficult to reprefent this found by any compofition of our 

 letters, unlefs, fomehow, from IfzthL This is one of their 

 mofl ufual terminations, though we fometimes found it in 

 the beginning of words. The next moft general termina- 

 tion is compofed of//; and many words end with z andy}^ 

 A fpecimen or two, of each of thefe, is here put down : 



OpidfzthU The fun. 



Onulfzthl, The moon. 



KahJljeetU Dead. 



TeeJJjcheetl, To throw a ftone, 



KooomitZy A human fcull. 



^lahmi/s, Fi(h roe. 



They feem to take fo great a latitude in their mode of 

 fpeaking, that I have fometimes obferved four or five dif- 

 ferent terminations of the fame word. This is a circum- 

 ftance very puzzling at firll to a (Irangcr, and marks a 

 great imperfection in their language. 



As to the compofition of ir, we can fay very little; hav- 

 ing been fcarcely able to difiinguifli the feveral parts of 

 fpeech. It can only be inferred, from their method of 

 fpeaking, which is very flow and diainJt, that it has few 

 prepoficions or conjundlions ; and, as far as we could dif- 

 cover, is deftitute of even a fingle interjection, to exprefs ad- 

 miration or furprize. From its having few conjuncT:ions, 

 it may be conceived, that thefe being tliought unneccfiliry,- 

 ap being underflood, each fingle word, with them, wiJl 

 alfo exprefs a great deal, or comprehend feveral fimple ideas;; 

 which fccnis to be the cafe. But, for the fame reafon, the lan- 

 guage 



