The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological RelationsBrinton, Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison)
History
The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological Relations
Brinton, Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison)
Arawak language
[Footnote 45: Las Casas knew Pane personally, and gives his name
correctly (not _Roman_, as all the printed authorities have it). He
described him as “hombre simple y de buena intencion;” “fuese Catalan de
nacion y no habla del todo bien nuestra lengua Castellana.” Ramon came
to Haiti four or five years before Las Casas, and the latter speaks of
him in a disparaging tone. “Este Fray Ramon escudrino lo que pudó, segun
lo que alcanzo de las lenguas que fueron tres, las que habia en esta
ysia: pero no supo sino la una de una chica provincia, que arriba
dejimos llamarse Macaria de abajo, y aquella no perfectamente.[TN-19]
(_Historia Apologetica, MSS._[TN-20] cap. 120, see also cap. 162). This
statement is not quite true, as according to Las Casas’ own admission
Pane dwelt two years in the province of Guarinoex, where the _lengua
universal_ was spoken, and _there_ collected these traditions.]
[Footnote 46: Pane’s account was first published in the _Historie del
Frenando[TN-21] Colombo_, Venetia, 1571, from which it has recently been
translated and published with notes by Brasseur de Bourbourg, Paris,
1864. The version of Zuane de Strozi is in the Appendix to Harrisse’s
_Bibliotheca Primordia Americana_, p. 474.]
[Footnote 47: _The myths of the New World_, (New York, 1868).]
[Footnote 48: See the work last quoted, p. 156, for a number of similar
myths of the trinity of the storm.]
[Footnote 49: I take these as they are related in Bretts, _Indian Tribes
of Guiana_, Part ii, chap. x.]
[Footnote 50: The most trustworthy author is Las Casas. As his works are
still in manuscript, I give his words. “Tres lenguas habia en esta ysla
distintas que la una a la otra no se entendia. La una era de la gente
que llamabamos Macorix de abajo y la otra de los vecinos del Macorix de
arriba. La otra lengua fue la universal de toda la tierra, y esta era
mas elegante y mas copiosa de vocablos, y mas dulce al sonido. En esto
la de Xaragua en todo llevaba ventaja, y era mui mas prima.” (_Historia
Apologetica_, cap. 197). “Es aqui de saber que un gran pedajo de esta
costa (that of the northern part of Haiti), bien mas de veinte y cinco o
treinta leguas y quince buenas y aun veinte de ancho hasta las sierras
que haren desta parte del norte la gran Vega inclusive, era poblado de
una gente que se llamaron Mazoriges, y otras Ciguayos, y tenian diversas
lenguas de la universal de todas las islas.” (_Historia General_, lib.
I, cap. 77). “Llamaban Ciguayos porque trayan todos los cabellos mui
luengos como en Nueva Castilla las mujeres,” (id. cap. 77). The cacique
of the Ciguayos was named Mayomanex or Mayobanex, (id. lib. I, cap.
120). They went almost naked, and had no arms, “eran Gallinas almenos
para con los uños, como no tuviesen armas,” (id. cap. 120.)]
[Footnote 51: Pigafetta, _Reise um die Welt_, so. 21, 26, 247, (Gotha,
1802; a translation of the Italian original in the library at Milan).]
Transcriber’s Note
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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