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We were given a holiday; and upon going ashore, Poky, of course, was my companion and guide. For this, no mortal could be better qualified; his native country was not large, and he knew every inch of it. Gallanting me about, everyone was stopped and ceremoniously introduced to Poty's "tayo karhowree nuee" or his particular white friend.
Now, notwithstanding what Jimmy had just told him, there presently came up to my comrade an old woman, who seated herself beside him on the canoe. 'Typee motarkee? said she. 'Motarkee nuee, said Toby. She then asked him whether he was going to Nukuheva; he nodded yes; and with a plaintive wail and her eyes filling with tears she rose and left him.
'Mehevi hanna pippee nuee Happar, he exclaimed every five minutes, giving me to understand that under that distinguished captain the warriors of his nation were performing prodigies of valour.
Our hostess now sat down by us; and after looking with great interest at the doctor's cloak, felt of my own soiled and tattered garments for the hundredth time, and exclaimed plaintively "Ah nuee nuee olee manee! olee manee!" When Arfretee, good soul, thus addressed us, she thought she was talking very respectable English.
'Happar keekeeno nuee, he exclaimed, 'nuee, nuee, ki ki kannaka! ah! owle motarkee! which signifies, 'Terrible fellows those Happars! devour an amazing quantity of men! ah, shocking bad! Thus far he explained himself by a variety of gestures, during the performance of which he would dart out of the house, and point abhorrently towards the Happar valley; running in to us again with a rapidity that showed he was fearful he would lose one part of his meaning before he could complete the other; and continuing his illustrations by seizing the fleshy part of my arm in his teeth, intimating by the operation that the people who lived over in that direction would like nothing better than to treat me in that manner.
The word "nuee" is so familiar to foreigners throughout Polynesia, and is so often used by them in their intercourse with the natives, that the latter suppose it to be common to all mankind. "Olee manee" is the native pronunciation of "old man," which, by Society Islanders talking Saxon, is applied indiscriminately to all aged things and persons whatsoever.
Typee me! arkee!—nuee, nuee mioree—nuee, nuee wai nuee, nuee poee poee—nuee, nuee kokoo—ah! nuee, nuee kiki—ah! nuee, nuee, nuee!” Which, liberally interpreted as before, would imply, “Ah, Typee! isn’t it a fine place though!—no danger of starving here, I tell you!—plenty of bread-fruit—plenty of water—plenty of pudding—ah! plenty of everything, ah! heaps, heaps, heaps!” All this was accompanied by a running commentary of signs and gestures which it was impossible not to comprehend.
“Happar keekeeno nuee,” he exclaimed; “nuee, nuee, ki ki kannaka!—ah! owle motarkee!” which signifies, “Terrible fellows those Happars!—devour an amazing quantity of men!—ah, shocking bad!” Thus far he explained himself by a variety of gestures, during the performance of which he would dart out of the house, and point abhorrently towards the Happar valley; running in to us again with the rapidity that showed he was fearful we would lose one part of his meaning before he could complete the other; and continuing his illustrations by seizing the fleshy part of my arm in his teeth, intimating, by the operation, that the people who lived over in that direction would like nothing better than to treat me in that manner.
At such times, as if he were gifted with second sight, he would go through a variety of pantomimic illustrations, showing me the precise manner in which the redoubtable Typees were at that very moment chastising the insolence of the enemy. “Mehevi hanna pippee nuee Happar,” he exclaimed every five minutes, giving me to understand that under that distinguished captain the warriors of his nation were performing prodigies of valour.
Kooloo, running over his qualifications as a friend, first of all informed me that he was a "Mickonaree," thus declaring his communion with the church. The way this "tayo" of mine expressed his regard was by assuring me over and over again that the love he bore me was "nuee, nuee, nuee," or infinitesimally extensive. All over these seas, the word "nuee" is significant of quantity.
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