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[Page 461]

Manners & Customs of the South Sea Islands

the daughter of their cheif Divinity TaroataihĂȘtoomoo & that she in process of time brought forth the months who in their turn produc'd the days of which they count 29 in every month including one on which the moon is invisible Every one of these has its respective name & is again subdivided into 12 parts containing about 2 hours each 6 for the day & 6 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 tho they have the same number of divisions as in the day seem very little able to tell at any time which of them it then is except the cleverer among them who know the stars

In counting they proceed from 1 to 10 having a different name for each number from thence they say one more 2 more &c. till the number 20 which after being calld in the general count 10 more acquires a new name as we say a score by these scores they count till they have got 10 of them which again acquires a new name 200 these again are counted till they get 10 of them 2000 which is the largest denomination I have ever heard them make use of & I suppose is as large as they can ever have occasion

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