1769 LANGUAGE 165 
it appears clearly that the languages given there as those of 
the Isles of Solomon and the Isle of Cocos? are radically the 
identical language we met with, most words differing in 
little, but the greater number of consonants. The languages 
of New Guinea and Moyse Isle* have also many words radi- 
cally the same, particularly their numbers, although they are 
so obscured by a multitude of consonants that it is scarcely 
possible that they should be detected but by those who are in 
some measure acquainted with one of the languages. For 
instance the New Guinea Aisson (fish) is found to be the 
same as the Otahite eia by the medium of ica of the Isle of 
Solomon; talingan (ears) is in Otahite terrea; limang (a 
hand) becomes lima or rima; paring (cheeks) is paperea ; 
mattanga (eyes) mata; “they called us,” says the author, 
“tata,” which in Otahite signifies men in general. 
That the people who inhabit this numerous range of 
islands should have originally come from one and the same 
place, and brought with them the same numbers and 
language, which latter especially have remained not materi- 
ally altered to this day, is in my opinion not at all beyond 
belief; but that the numbers of Madagascar should be the 
same as all these is almost if not quite incredible. I shall 
give them from a book called a Collection of Voyages by the 
Dutch East Company, Lond. 1703, p. 116, where, supposing 
the author who speaks of ten numbers and gives only nine 
to have lost the fifth, their similarity is beyond dispute. 
Madagascar. Otahite. Cocos Isle. New Guinea. 
1. Issa Tahie Taci Tika 
2. Rove Rua Loua Roa 
8. Tello Torou Tolou Tola 
4, Effat Hea Fa Fatta 
6. Enning ‘Whene Houno Wamma 
7. Fruto Hetu Fitou Fita 
8. Wedo Waru Walou Walla 
9. Sidai Heva Ywore Siwa 
10. Scula Ahourou Ongefoula Sangafoula 
1 Probably one of the Samoa group, not the Keeling Islands. 
2 An island off the N.E. coast of New Guinea, so named by Le Maire. 
