260 
Counting by Hands and Feet. 
600. I am quoting here the numerals of the Macusi only: — 
1 Tiwing 
2 Sakene 
3 Eserewa 
4 Asakrepanna 
5 Mia eteukeng 
6 Tiwing mia 
7 Sakene 
8 Eserewa 
9 Asakrepanna 
pona timotei 
12 Sakene pn pona timotei 
13 Eserewa „ „ „ 
14 Asakrepanna 
15 Pu eteukeng 
16 Tiwing pn ratoi pona timotei 
17 Sakene „ „ „ 
19, Eserewa „ ,, „ „ 
10 Asakrepanna ,. ,, „ 
20 Pn tamenaura 
21 Tiwing pemongkong (a pei f.nn) 
10 Mia tamenanre 
11 Tiwing pn pona timntei 
The explanation, like the inner Avorking of methods of enumeration 
in general, is somewhat dillicult and , obscure. The lingers of the one 
hand are the real fundamental numbers; the basis of the whole systfem 
of counting is in units. Puna here means above, in ai^ldition 
to: Mia signilies the hand: Eteuhcng (with the Eu very dee^ily 
sounded) is the one hand as a base number (the number 5) ; Timotei 
means to start, commence, c.fj., in reading ,a book, starting 
on the next page after the x^revious one has been completed. 5 is Mia 
Etcukciuj: hand as base number. G is Tianng Mia nana timotei: one 
(finger), hand (as representing 5), in addition to. 10 is hand twice, 
after which tliei e are no longer any base numbers ( rt ])resenting 5's ) for 
the feet {Pn, Ifvpu) now. take on these functions and the fingers only 
act as substitutes for the units: the feet become the lO's, the fingers the 
I's. The woi'ds which exjjress the numl)er 11 mean: one (finger, unity), 
feet (as representing the fundamental number 10), in addition to. The 
words which express the number l.j mean: feet and one hand. 16 is one 
(finger), other Imlf (of the fundamental 10), in addition to, the Pafoi 
meaning the other half. 20 is feet twice. From 20 upwards this now 
becomes the l)asis of notation and is signified by the word pemongkong 
(an individual). 21 Titring pemongkong therefore denotes one (finger) 
and person ( (lie fundamental for 20). The verbs are really ccnjugated 
and the nouns and pronouns are then incorporated with them. 
GUI. I am also including a few remarks on their divisions of time. 
The interval from the beginning of one rainy season to the next, or from 
commencement of the one avj season to the next is a year; the Macusis 
call the rainy season Timong, and so Tiwing timong also Tiwing Gonna 
(=rain) one year. Aicina is the dry period of the year: Tiwing awina is 
one year. The year itself is divided into lunar months, which begin 
and end with the nt w moon. Knpoi, the moon: Tiirnig kajx)!, one 
month. Kapoi-paeea, the new moon: imu pe kapoi wanne, full moon. 
The day is called Dekr: one day Tiwing deke. Each day is divided into 
different parts. At six o'clock in the morning they say Eriina-pui. 
about sunrise; then comes nine o'clock ''when tlie sun is high"; mid- 
day. Nekat(t paira woe wcDinr, "the sun straight ovei' us": three o'clock 
in the afternoon, "the sun sinking"; six o'clock of an evening, Wae he 
irommr, and the setting of the snn, Ewantni pamii also Akomanune. 
