AND ITS EXPLANATION. 87 



into their bodies three of the most extraordinary 

 contortions I ever beheld. No one could resist the 

 last manoeuvre ; we all screamed with laughter, which 

 brought tears into our eyes ; indeed I never witnessed 

 this most ridiculous dance without a return of my 

 present mirth. I have never been able to translate 

 to my satisfaction the words they used on these 

 occasions ; but as they almost invariably derive their 

 amusements from natural models, and as I knew 

 moingen to be a mouse or an ermine, melotah, a rabbit 

 or hare, and noingen to mean tail, I venture, from a 

 consideration of the pantomimic motions displayed, 

 to render the sentence thus — 



Cali-p6 moingen melotah noingen, 

 Catch ermine rabbit tail, 



or, ermine catch rabbit by the tail ; the final expres- 

 sions, Tim — mn — um, might signify that the chase was 

 successfully accomplished, and their accompanying 

 wriggles personate the struggles of the victim — for 

 ermine do catch rabbits, though I never heard of 

 their choosing the tail as the best spot for a grip, 

 their aim being, I believe, invariably the back of 

 the neck. 



Before we departed from the village, its " oldest 

 inhabitant " was brought out to satisfy her curiosity 

 respecting the strangers ; but she, poor soul, was 



