OF THE LENNI LENAPE INDIANS. 73 



nese languages, which he has deposited in the Marine East 

 India Company's Museum at Salem in Massachusetts, an 

 extract from which is subjoined to the History of his Voy- 

 age to the China Sea*. It is hoped that the Boston Academy 

 of Arts and Sciences will cause the whole to be published in 

 their valuable Transactions. It will be interesting not only 

 to the learned of this country, but also to those of Europe ; 

 as it not only shews the degree of affinity in the idioms of 

 the two nations, Chinese and Cochin Chinese, but also in 

 what manner the characters of the former are employed lo 

 represent the words of the latter, when they differ in sound 

 or in sense : It proves to demonstration that the Chinese 

 characters cannot be read alike in every language; not even 

 in those which have the greatest resemblance to that of 

 China and may be considered in a measure as Chinese 

 dialects. 



Thus learned and industrious men are collecting in all 

 parts of the world the valuable materials out of which is to be 

 erected the splendid edifice of Universal Philology. Various 

 attempts have been made to reduce this science into a body 

 of doctrine, but none has completely succeeded, because 

 the facts on which it rests have not yet been sufficiently 

 ascertained. Innumerable works have been written on the 

 origin of language, while the greatest number of the idioms 

 of the earth were entirely unknown. Theories have been 

 accumulated instead of facts, every one of which had its day 

 until superseded by some newer and more fashionable sys- 

 tem. Now and then some gifted men pierced through the 

 cloud of darkness by the mere force of their intuitive genius, 



* lli-tory of a Voyage to the China Seas. By John White, Lieutenant 

 ■ ii the I • S. Navy. Boston. Wells & Lilly. 1823. 



This book has been Bince reprinted in London. Hut the booksellers, 

 probably for want of Chinese characters, 1 1 : » v < • lefl out of their edition all 

 that relates to the Cochin Chinese language. Thus in our American 

 edition of Marrow'- Travels in china, the specimens of Tartar charai ter- 

 have been omitted, because the hook-. Hers did not think h ezpedienl to 

 have them cast or engraved. In this manner trade prospers 81 the I » 

 pense of science. 



\ Oli. III. T 



