(no subject)
While resting during a recent bout of hives, I was reading about the Pitcairn Islands in my Lonely Planet South Pacific Book. (Where the Bounty crew escaped to, also where the national language is Pitkern, aka “18th century seafaring English”, perhaps the only place in the world TaraLynn can hear the language she loves so much). I stumbled across an amusing section in the book on actual names on the island. It made me laugh, so I thought I’d share it with you all:
“Reading the Land
There’s a straightforward, down to earth approach to everything Pitcairnese and the island’s place names are certainly simple, descriptive, and rather worrying. Over the years islanders appear to have had a disturbing propensity for falling right off Pitcairn, many of them tumbling down a sheer cliff face while gathering bird eggs, chasing goats, or fishing. Right in Adamstown you find a spot with the dire name, Where Dick Fall. A little further to the west, below Christian’s Cave, the cliffs must be particularly dangerous since the map lists: Where Dan Fall, Johnny Fall, and the succinct Tom Off. It’s no better on the west coast, Where Warren Fall, or the east coast, Where Freddie Fall. But the south coast has the most enigmatic and worrying warning of all- Oh Dear.”
“Reading the Land
There’s a straightforward, down to earth approach to everything Pitcairnese and the island’s place names are certainly simple, descriptive, and rather worrying. Over the years islanders appear to have had a disturbing propensity for falling right off Pitcairn, many of them tumbling down a sheer cliff face while gathering bird eggs, chasing goats, or fishing. Right in Adamstown you find a spot with the dire name, Where Dick Fall. A little further to the west, below Christian’s Cave, the cliffs must be particularly dangerous since the map lists: Where Dan Fall, Johnny Fall, and the succinct Tom Off. It’s no better on the west coast, Where Warren Fall, or the east coast, Where Freddie Fall. But the south coast has the most enigmatic and worrying warning of all- Oh Dear.”