19* 



NATIVE NUMERALS. 



He had not brought me the " barreet," but he pro- 

 mised to do so in the morning, on my offering him 

 one sapara (axe), one nipa (knife), one wallee 

 (cloth), one tarpoor (bottle). It never came, how- 

 ever, and they seemed strangely unwilling to part 

 with it 



Their numbers do not go beyond two, reckoning 

 thus, 



One uetat. 



Two naea, (or nace.) 



Three .... uacsa-netat. 



Four naesa-naes. 



Five naesa-naesa-netat. 



Six naesa-naesa-naes. 



Beyond six they never think of counting, 

 three twos being not only six, but any indefinite 

 large number. Mammoos inquired one day 

 of Lieut. Risk, the number of all our large vessels, 

 or "ow shippo," and small ones, or "kabbi 

 shippo," as they called the boats. On Lieut. Risk 

 enumerating them, he took little pieces of stick, 

 and made a little bundle of four, for the Fly, Bram- 

 ble, Prince George, and Midge, and of the requisite 

 number of smaller pieces for the boats, amounting 

 then, I believe, altogether to eleven. 



