Hula, Mai Tai (1798); Baretti (1719-1789)

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GIUSEPPE M. A. BARETTI (1719-1789)

   The book listed him as "Joseph" Baretti...Yes, that 1760 or 1770 "cigarro"
is probably a cigarette, not a cigar.  OED has "cigarette" from 1842?
   Fortunately, Baretti wrote other important books, so we need not guess
about "cigarro" or "ballerina" or "fandango" or  "pochero" or "escabeche."  A
check of his name shows that he wrote dictionaries of Italian and Spanish.
   I've got to do some parking tickets tomorrow (my only use to New York City
or the world), but I'll look at them in a few days.

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HULA, MAI TAI

A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY TO THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN AND ROUND THE WORLD
1791-1795
by George Vancouver
in four volumes
edited by W. Kaye Lamb
London: The Hakluyt Society
1984

   This was originally published in 1798.  OED uses it for one
citation--that's right, ONE!  The first citation of "aloha."
    Vancouver is the guy they named a town after. (If you guessed Seattle,
you're close. OK, who's buried in Grant's tomb?)
    Along on this voyage was a botanist named Archibald Menzies.  Charles F.
Newcombe seems to have edited MENZIES' JOURNAL OF VANCOUVER'S VOYAGE (1923),
but I'll first look at the NYPL's copy of THE ALASKA TRAVEL JOURNAL OF
ARCHIBALD MENZIES, 1793-1794 (Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 1993).
   Under "strawberry," OED cites "1792 A. Menzies."  It appears to be the
only Menzies citation in OED.  One citation!  Again, this is just amazing.
   The editor here cites Menzies often, and it's probably the much richer
book, certainly for botany.  Vancouver mostly gives us second citations,
after Captain Cook.  However, the four long volumes were worth the read.  The
numbers are consecutive up to the final page 1750, so the volume number
probably is irrelevant.


VOLUME ONE
Pg. 352 (Oct. 1791):  Some of the few fish we caught were very excellent,
particularly of the larger sort; one much resembling the snook,* and another
the calipevar of Jamaica.**
*Presumably the snook barracuda.
**Calipeva; the West Indian mullet.

VOLUME TWO
Pg. 455 (March 1792):  These several portions of land were planted with the
eddo or _taro_ root...
("Taro" is in several places here.  Unfortunately, I did not see "poi," but
Menzies probably has that--ed.)

Pg. 482 (April 1792):  On Sunday the 8th, the weather being perfectly calm,
Mr. Menzieswas so fortunate as to determine this point, by killing a brown
albatross; of the same sort, I believe, as are found in abundance about
Tierra del Fuego, distinguished vulgarly by the name of Mother Cary's geese,
on account of the white rump, shape of the tail, &c. which resemble the
storm-petrel, commonly called Mother Cary's chicken.*
*Mother Carey's chickens and Mother Carey's geese were the sailors' names for
the stormy petrel and the giant petrel.  Menzies gives a description of the
bird he shot from which Newcombe concludes that it was a black-footed
albatross.  _Menzies' Journal of Vancouver's Voyage_, p. 3n.

VOLUME THREE
Pg. 822 (February 1793):  After a short respite he recovered a little, and
looking up to the most active of the party, said "_mytie, mytie_,"*
signifying "good;" the man, instantly replied "_arrowhah_,"** meaning, that
he pitied him, and instantly saluted him, by touching noses, gave him some
cloth, and assisted him to wipe and bind up his wounds.
*maikai, maikai.
**aloha.
(OED has the "aloha" but not the "mai tai."  The "aloha" is dated 1798 with
the book, but the journal entry is five years' earlier--ed.)

Pg. 834:  The warriers who were armed with the _pallaloos_, now advanced with
a considerable degree of order...
*Pololu, a long war spear.
(Not in OED--ed.)

Pg. 840 (March 1793):  ...this was held in great estimation, especially when
two or three sorts were sewn together to form that part of their dress called
the _maro_, about three yards long, and six inches broad.
(The revised OED has "maro" from 1669, 1722, and then 1833.  This citation
would come in the 110-year gap.  The revised entry is useful, for it shows me
that no one was reading Vancouver/Menzies--ed.)

Pg. 843 (March 1793):  ...I agreed with him in this opinion, but the words
"_Taboo_ King George" were sufficient to prevent a syllable more being urged
on that subject.
("Taboo" is all over this work and would be important cites after Cook--ed.)

Pg. 1009 (August 1793):  They were all small, of one sort, and were called by
us _hunched-backed_ salmon...
(OED has "gorbusch" from 1792, and "haddo" with no cites at all??--ed.)

Pg. 1171 (February 1794):  The time devoted to the decoration of the
actresses extended beyond the limits of the quiet patience of the audience,
who exclaimed two or three times, from all quarters, "_Hoorah, hoorah,
poaliealee_,"* signifying, that it would be dark and black night before the
performance would begin.
*Hula hula pouliuli.

Pg. 1173 (February 1794):  The language of the song, no doubt, corresponded
with the obscenity of their actions; which were carried to a degree of
extravagence that was calculated to produce nothing but disgust even in the
most licentious.
   This _hooarah_ occupied about an hour, and concluded with the descending
sun, it being contrary to law that such representations should continue after
that time of day.
(OED has 1825 for "hula," also given as "hura"--ed.)