16 BEACH-LA-MAR. 
rudimentary, is of practical uniformity in principle, at least the 
importance of position is paramount. We shall study in vain the 
comical twists and awkward turns of the jargon if we fail to recognize 
that the junior partner has largely taken the vocabulary from the 
superior race and that the degradation of form and frequently of 
sense has been effected by the white man himself; the savage has no 
reason to suspect that the damaged goods are not the best in the 
market. Of any item in this vocabulary we may scarcely venture to 
credit the savage with a better comprehension than Mrs. Plornish 
was able to exhibit in the definition of altro; the use to which he 
puts them shows that he regards each as a sort of general kind of 
expression. But, accepting this stock in trade or working capital, 
the Melanesian applies the rigidity of his grammar, he employs the 
English word with the precision of his own speech. If we are to 
assign relative credits, the barbarian is shown in a far more respect- 
able light. | 
That the islander when adopting the jargon thinks that he is 
acquiring a foreign language is readily seen by inspection of the 
vocabulary; there are but thirteen vocables which derive from any 
speech of the Pacific. The Melanesians think the Beach-la-mar 
English, they so denominate it; of a man who is faulty in his use of 
the jargon the comment is frequently heard ‘‘he no speak proper 
English.”’ 
