The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological Relations

by Daniel G. Brinton

[27] Kuba in Arawack is the sign of past time and is used as a prefix to nouns, as well as a suffix to verbs. Kubakanan ancestors, those passed away, those who lived in past times.

[28] “Toda la mas de la gente de que estaba poblaba aquella isla [Cuba] era passada y natural desta ysla Espanola, puesto que la mas antigua y natural de aquella ysla era como la de los Lucayos de quien ablamos en el primero y segundo libro ser como los seres que parecia no haber pecado nuestro padre Adan en ellos, gente simplicissima, bonissima, careciente de todos vicios, y beatissima. Esta era la natural y native de aquella ysla, y llamabanse en su lengua, Ciboneyes, la penultima silaba luenga; y los desta por grado o por fuerza se apodearon de aquella ysla y gente della, y los tenian como sirvientes suyos.” (Las Casas Hist. Gen. de las Indias, MSS. lib. iii, cap. 21). Elsewhere (cap. 23) he says this occurred “mayormente” after the Spaniards had settled in Haiti.

[29] “Lucayos o por mejor decir Yucayos” says Las Casas, (Hist. Gen. lib. ii. cap. 44) and after him Herrera. But the correction which was based apparently on some supposed connection of the word with yuca, the Haitian name of an esculent plant, is superfluous, and Las Casas himself never employs it, nor a single other writer.

[30] Las Casas. Hist. Gen. de las Indias, lib. iv. cap. 48, MSS. Bees were native to Yucatan long before the discovery, but not to the north temperate zone.

[31] “Varia enim esse idiomata in varils Cubae provinelis perpenderunt.” (Pet. Martyr, De Rebus Oceanicis, v. 42). Las Casas says that a sailor told Columbus that he saw one Indian cacique in a long white tunic who refused to speak, but stalked silently away. (Hist. de las Indias, lib. I. cap. 95). Martyr says there were several. Peschel suggests they were tall white flamingoes, that scared the adventurous tar out of his wits. (Geschichte des Zeitalters der Entdeckungen, p. 253). At any rate the story gives no foundation at all for Peter Martyr’s philogical opinion.

[32] Pet. Martyr, De Insulis Nuper Inventis, p. 335. “Traia consigo Grisalva un Indio per lengua de los que de aquella tierra habian llevado consigo a la ysla de Cuba Francisco Hernandez. Las Casas Hist. Gen. de las Indias, lib. III, cap. 108, MSS. See also the chaplain’s account in Terneaux Compans, Recueil de Pieces rel. a la Conquête de Mexique, p. 56.

[33] Bernal Dias says the vicinity of cape San Antonio was inhabited by the “Guanataneys que son unos Indias como salvages.” He expressly adds that their clothing differed from that of the Mayas, and that the Cuban natives with him could not understand the Maya language. Historia Verdadera, cap. II.

[34] “Presso capite, fronte lata” (Nicolaus Syllacius, De Insulis nuper Inventis, p. 86. Reprint, New York, 1859. This is the extremely rare account of Columbus’ second voyage). Six not very perfect skulls were obtained in 1860, by Col. F. S. Heneken, from a cavern 15 miles south-west from Porto Plata. They are all more or less distorted in a discoidal manner, one by pressure over the frontal sinus, reducing the calvaria to a disk. (J. Barnard Davis, Thesaurus Craniorum, p. 236, London, 1867. Mr. Davis erroneously calls them Carib skulls).

[35] The provinces of Cuba are laid down on the Mapa de la Isla de Cuba segun la division de los Naturales, por D. Jose Maria de la Torre y de la Torre, in the Memorias de la Sociedad Patriotica de la Habana, 1841. See also Felipe Poey, Geografia de la Isla de Cuba, Habana, 1853. Apendice sobre la Geografia Antigua. Las Casas gives the five provinces of Hayti by the names of their chiefs, Guarinox, Guacanagari, Behechio, Caonabo and Higuey. For their relative position see the map in Charlevoix’s Histoire de l’Isle San Domingue, Paris, 1740, and in Baumgarten’s Geschichte von Amerika, B. II.

[36] This was Caonabo. Oviedo, and following him Charlevoix, say he was a Carib, but Las Casas, who having lived twenty years in Haiti immediately after the discovery, is infinitely the best authority, says: “Era de nacion Lucayo, natural de las islas de los Lucayos, que se pasó de ellas aca.” (Historia Apologetica, cap. 179, MSS).