ÖÖI 8x 3 ^c- 0 - Acehbooks.org

S U M A T R A . 165
mixed and corrupted, but between the raoft diffimilar branches, an evident
famenefs of many radical words is apparent; and in fome, very
diftant from each other in point of fituation ; as for inftance the Philippines
and Madagafcar; the deviation of the words is fcarcely more than
is obferved in the dialects of neighbouring provinces of the fame kingdom.*
The principal internal languages of Sumatra, are the Rejang and the
Batta, whofe difference is marked, not fo much by the want of correfpondence
in the terms, as by the circumftance of their being each expreffed
in a diftinct and peculiar written character. This I conceive to
be extraordinary, and perhaps lingular, in the hiftory of human improvement;
that two divifions of people on the fame ifland, with equal claims
to originality, in ftages of civilization nearly equal, and fpeaking languages
derived from the fame fourcc, fhould' write in characters effentially
different from each other, and from the reft of the world. What
corroborates the evidence of the alphabets being feparate and' unconnected
inventions, is, that the order of the letters is not the fame; as
will appear by an inflection of the fpecimcns I have fubjoined for the
gratification of the curious-f. The Achenefe making ufe of the Arabic
character, their language has the lefs claim to originality. The Lampoon,-
as a dialect, is fu-fficiently diftinct from all the others, but a few
of the letters of the alphabet, particularly the firft and fecond, are expreffed
by characters manifeflly the fame with the Rejang, though the
maior part feem entirely unlike. Perhaps, as the Greeks are faid to have
* I am engaged in an attempt to render this comparifon.of languages more cxtenfive, and as far
as poflible, to bring fpecimcns of all thofe fpoken in the known world, into one point of view.
f See the following plate. The Javanefe, and all other eaftern writing, that I have examined,
differ as much from thefe, as the Rejang from the Batta. The fpecimen of a Java» alphabet given
in Corneille le Brun is very juft. The Togala alphabet is to be found in Thevenot. Relation
iles Hies Philipiaes.
done