SISSANO WORDS. pe 
jf-v group; it may be the semivowel represented by the letter in English. 
I have been unable to trace either form in our scanty linguistic material 
derived from this region; therefore there exists no means by which the 
record may be made to yield the correction required. But by recon- 
struction of the situation in which the record was made it is not diffi- 
cult to see what has happened. Dr. Neuhauss has employed his index 
finger; that ready but fractional handmaid of scientific inquiry at its 
beginning has pointed at the particular part concerning which his 
inquiry is made. In general one avoids the actual touch of the moist 
parts of humanity; to even the most painstaking of linguists it might 
in some sort seem hardihood to intrust a forefinger within too close 
reach of that part of the cannibal wherewith he practises his anthro- 
pophagy; it is not given to all men to be Van Ambergs in lions’ mouths. 
Accordingly, there has been reason for misapprehension on the part 
of the savage, even though he was ready to instruct the stranger. 
The forefinger was addressed to the major orifice of his face. He has 
interpreted it as an inquiry as to his mouth in general, or in particular 
as to his lips or his teeth or his tongue. Probably eliak-weliak, which- 
ever may be the proper locution, denominates some one of these parts, 
but we have no means wherewith to determine which is intended; 
since we find in the available material no words for mouth and lips 
we are without data for determination by exclusion. We retain the 
two forms in their vocabulary positions, but note this doubt as to form 
and sense and leave the matter for the determination of the next 
scholar who may visit this remote lagoon community. 
Dr. Neuhauss does not pretend to be a philologist. His interest 
and his activity have been engaged profitably with other concerns of 
life and he has not had the time to elaborate this small collection of 
the words of a most obscure language. Our critical examination of 
his material is not in any sense a reflection upon him as a collector; 
we are profoundly grateful that in the midst of his other occupation 
with this people he has found the inclination and has been at the pains 
to provide us with this equipment for the study of their speech. It is 
solely to enhance the value of his work that we note the possibility of 
error which surrounded him—perturbation factors which without partic- 
ular training and long familarity he could not suspect and therefore 
could not seek to correct in his field observations. 
In many of the languages of the Pacific we find evidence that the 
intellectuality of the speakers evades in several groups of noumena 
the sense absolute and considers it only in certain relations. ‘This 
is particularly the case with the names of parts of the body. To the 
searching inquisition of the questioning forefinger the reply is not 
head, arm, foot, as concepts absolute, but always my head, my 
arm, my foot, when the finger searches out the person interrogated, 
or, when the questioner indicates his own members, thy head, thy 
