The inhabitants of each of these little islands speak a language peculiar to themselves, and it is an object of Dutch policy to prevent, as much as possible, their learning the language of each other. If they spoke a common language, they would learn, by a mutual intercourse with each other, to plant such things as would be of more value to themselves than their present produce, though of less advantage to the Dutch; but their languages being different, they can communicate no such knowledge to each other, and the Dutch secure to themselves the benefit of supplying their several necessities upon their own terms, which it is reasonable to suppose are not very moderate. It is probably with a view to this advantage that the Dutch never teach their own language to the natives of these islands, and have been at the expense of translating the Testament and catechisms into the different languages of each; for in proportion as Dutch had become the language of their religion, it would have become the common language of them all.
To this account of Savu, I shall only add a small specimen of its language, by which it will appear to have some affinity with that of the South Sea islands, many of the words being exactly the same, and the numbers manifestly derived from the same source.
| A man, | Momonne. |
| A woman, | Mobunne. |
| The head, | Catoo. |
| The hair, | Row catoo. |
| The eyes, | Matta. |
| The eye-lashes, | Rowna matta. |
| The nose, | Swanga. |
| The cheeks, | Cavaranga. |
| The ears, | Wodeeloo. |
| The tongue, | Vaio. |
| The neck, | Lacoco. |
| The breasts, | Soosoo. |
| The nipples, | Caboo soosoo. |
| The belly, | Dulloo. |
| The navel, | Assoo. |
| The thighs, | Tooga. |
| The knees, | Rootoo. |
| The legs, | Baibo. |
| The feet, | Dunceala. |
| The toes, | Kissovei yilla. |
| The arms, | Camacoo. |
| The hand, | Wulaba. |
| A buffalo, | Cabaou. |
| A horse, | Djara. |
| A hog, | Vavee. |
| A sheep, | Doomba. |
| A goat, | Kesavoo. |
| A dog, | Guaca. |
| A cat, | Maio. |
| A fowl, | Mannu. |
| The tail, | Carow. |
| The beak, | Pangoutoo. |
| A fish, | Ica. |
| A turtle, | Unjoo. |
| A cocoa-nut, | Nieu. |
| Fan-palm, | Boaceree. |
| Areca, | Calella. |
| Betele, | Canana. |
| Lime, | Aou. |
| A fish-hook, | Maänadoo. |
| Tattow, the marks on the skin, | Tata. |
| The sun, | Lodo. |
| The moon, | Wurroo. |
| The sea, | Aidassee. |
| Water, | Ailea. |
| Fire, | Aee. |
| To die, | Maate. |
| To sleep, | Tabudge. |
| To rise, | Tateetoo. |
| One, | Usse. |
| Two, | Lhua. |
| Three, | Tullu. |
| Four, | Uppah. |
| Five, | Lumme. |
| Six, | Unna. |
| Seven, | Pedu. |
| Eight, | Arru. |
| Nine, | Saou. |
| Ten, | Singooroo. |
| Eleven, | Singurung usse. |
| 20, | Lhuangooroo. |
| 100, | Sing assu. |
| 1000, | Setuppah. |
| 10,000, | Selacussa. |
| 100,000, | Serata. |
| 1,000,000, | Sereboo. |
In this account of the island of Savu it must be remembered, that except the facts in which we were parties, and the account of the objects which we had an opportunity to examine, the whole is founded merely upon the report of Mr. Lange, upon whose authority alone therefore it must rest.
CHAP. X.
THE RUN FROM THE ISLAND OF SAVU TO BATAVIA, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE TRANSACTIONS THERE WHILE THE SHIP WAS REFITTING.
In the morning of Friday the 21st of September, 1770, we got under sail, and stood away to the westward, along the north side of the island of Savu, and of the smaller that lies to the westward of it, which at noon bore from us S. S. E., distant two leagues. At four o’clock in the afternoon, we discovered a small low island, bearing S. S. W., distant three leagues, which has no place in any chart now extant, at least in none that I have been able to procure: it lies in latitude 10° 47ʹ S., longitude 238° 28ʹ W.
At noon on the 22d, we were in latitude 11° 10ʹ S., longitude 240° 38ʹ W. In the evening of the 23d, we found the variation of the needle to be 2° 44ʹ W.; as soon as we got clear of the islands we had constantly a swell from the southward, which I imagined was not caused by a wind blowing from that quarter, but by the sea being so determined by the position of the coast of New Holland.
At noon, on the 26th, being in latitude 10° 47ʹ S., longitude 249° 52ʹ W., we found the variation to be 3° 10ʹ W., and our situation to be twenty-five miles to the northward of the log; for which I know not how to account. At noon, on the 27th, our latitude by observation, was 10° 51ʹ S., which was agreeable to the log; and our longitude was 252° 11ʹ W. We steered N. W. all day on the 28th, in order to make the land of Java; and at noon, on the 29th, our latitude by observation was 9° 31ʹ S., longitude 254° 10ʹ W.; and in the morning of the 30th, I took into my possession the log-book and journals, at least all I could find, of the officers, petty officers, and seamen, and enjoined them secrecy with respect to where they had been.
At seven in the evening, being in the latitude of Java Head, and not seeing any land, I concluded that we were too far to the westward: I therefore hauled up E. N. E., having before steered N. by E. In the night, we had thunder and lightning; and about twelve o’clock, by the light of the flashes, we saw the land bearing east. I then tacked and stood to the S. W. till four o’clock in the morning of the 1st of October; and at six, Java Head, or the west end of Java, bore S. E. by E., distant five leagues: soon after we saw Prince’s Island, bearing E. ½ S.; and at ten, the island of Cracatoa, bearing N. E. Cracatoa is a remarkably high-peaked island, and at noon it bore N. 40 E., distant seven leagues.
I must now observe, that during our run from Savu, I allowed twenty minutes a-day for the westerly current, which I concluded must run strong at this time, especially off the coast of Java, and I found that this allowance was just equivalent to the effect of the current upon the ship.