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Anniversary Address, for 1848, to the Ethnological Society of 

 London, on the recent Progress of Ethnology. By the Presi- 

 dent, James Cowles Prichard, M.D., F.R.S. Corre- 

 sponding Member of the Institute of France. (Communi- 

 cated by the Society.) 



(Concluded from vol. xlv., page 346.) 



The contributions to history and ethnology which may be 

 expected from Palaeography, are but limited, since the art of 

 writing was known only to a few of the nations of antiquity. 

 The data which it furnishes have indeed the appearance of 

 greater authenticity than those derived from the examina- 

 tion of languages, but this is principally because they are 

 founded on phenomena which present themselves to the eye, 

 while the testimony of unwritten speech is only heard. This 

 laKt resource, however, is not only of far greater extent, but 

 is capable of affording results equally deserving of reliance. 

 The visible signs preserved in written memorials, must be 

 translated into sounds before they can give testimony in 

 questions relating to the history of races, and when oral 

 speech is faithfully represented, and due care is taken to 

 distinguish between what is accidental or acquired, and what 

 is essential and original, it furnishes evidence not less credible 

 than that of inscribed monuments. 



In returning to this part of my subject, I may observe that 

 every year brings out some new information derived from 

 Palcelexical researches, and that new associations are conti- 

 nually formed in Europe, Asia, and America, in which they 

 are the principal objects of attention. The academies of St 

 Petersburg and Berlin are now of old renown, and the So- 

 ciety of Northern Antiquaries has already subsisted for seve- 

 ral years. The " Deutsche Morgenlandische Gesellschaft" 

 is of recent date, and the establishment of this association 

 may be hailed as an event of great promise, since it promotes 

 an union of the literary labours of all those learned men in 

 Germany, who are engaged in the study of Eastern lan- 

 guages. 



Some of the early papers of this Society contain a contri- 



