32 A YEAR WITH A WHALER 



talked fair English, but among themselves they 

 always spoke their native language. I had heard 

 much of the liquid beauty of the Kanaka tongue. 

 It was a surprise to find it the most unmusical 

 and harshly guttural language I ever heard. It 

 comes from the mouth in a series of explosive 

 grunts and gibberings. The listener is distinctly 

 and painfully impressed with the idea that if the 

 nitroglycerine words were retained in the sys- 

 tem, they would prove dangerous to health and 

 is fearful lest they choke the spluttering Kanaka 

 to death before he succeeds in biting them off and 

 flinging them into the atmosphere. 



