Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/221

1769 I was not able to get a complete idea of their method of dividing time. I shall, however, set down what little I know. In speaking of time either past or to come, they never use any term but moons, of which they count thirteen, and then begin again: this of itself sufficiently shows that they have some idea of the solar year, but how they manage to make their thirteen months agree with it I never could find out. That they do, however, I believe, because in mentioning the names of months they very frequently told us the fruits that would be in season in each of them, etc. They also have a name for the thirteen months collectively, but they never use it in speaking of time; it is employed only in explaining the mysteries of their religion. In their metaphorical year they say that the year Tettowma ta tayo was the daughter of the chief divinity Taroataihetoomoo, and that she in time brought forth the months, who in their turn produced the days, of which they count twenty-nine in every month, including one in which the moon is invisible. Every one of these has its respective name, and is again subdivided into twelve parts, containing about two hours each, six for the day and six for the night, each of which has likewise its respective name. In the day-time they guess the divisions of these parts very well, but in the night, though they have the same number of divisions as in the day, seem very little able to tell at any time which hour it is, except the cleverest among them who know the stars.

In counting they proceed from one to ten, having a different name for each number; from thence they say one more, two more, etc., up to twenty, which after being called in the general count ten more, acquires a new name as we say a score: by these scores they count till they have got ten of them, which again acquires a new name, 200; these again are counted till they get ten of them, 2000; which is the largest denomination I have ever heard them make use of, and I suppose is as large as they can ever have occasion for, as they can count ten of these (i.e. up to 20,000) without any new term.

In measures of space they are very poor indeed: one