Having succeeded to make out a fine vocabulary of nearly three hundred words of the Taino dialects, collected from Roman, Columbus, Dangleria, Munoz, Las-Casas, Herrera, Gili, Humboldt, Vater &c.--and another of about 150 words of the _Cairi_ or _Eyeri_ language of the Aruac Islanders out of Dudley, Rochefort &c. I will be enabled to translate and elucidate nearly all the Taino historical names and allusions, so as to clear up the annals by original etymologies. The orthography will be Spanish, J must be pronounced as Kh, and X as Sh.
The Haytians had besides these songs, other annals; since the priests taught history, and the origin of things to the sons of the nobles. They had also perhaps peculiar symbols to keep their records, since Dangleria mentions that they had paintings of beasts, tygers, eagles &c. on cotton, hung to walls. St. Mery says that in 1787 was found in the mountains of Guanaminto a tomb with a stone of 6 feet covered with hieroglyphs! and in the mountains of Limbé, engravings of human figures on a serpentine rock; besides many sculptures in Caves. Columbus saw in 1492 in Inagua one of Lucayes a gold medal _with letters on it_! If we had figures of these hieroglyphs and engraved symbols, we should probably obtain another clue to American history and graphic systems. But they are probably lost by neglect like those of North America! The Antilles being on the way from the east to the continent must have served as a stepping place to many nations on their passage to the continent.(63)
1. _Fact._ The Supreme God, bears five names or titles given by Roman and Dangleria in two dialects, and is male or female.
By Roman By Dangleria Meanings 1. Attabei Attabeira Unic-Being. 2. Jemao Mamona Eternal. 3. Guacas or Guaca-rapita Infinite. Apito 4. Apito or Liella Omnipotent. Siella 5. Zuimaco Guimazoa Invisible.
Roman calls it female, Dangleria a male God. The titles of this god are sufficient to indicate the supreme God of nature, and they have astonishing analogies with the primitive God of Asia and Europe, the Basks, Pelasgians, Atlantes, Guanches &c. The most common name was the first, in Cuba _Atabex_. This and other great Gods were not sculptured in idols. The Chillians had similar names for the Supreme God.(64)