CHIN A. 175 1. 275 



fervants fpeak Szaedijh ; we like wife faw 2 

 man who had taken the Roman catholicdreligion 

 in Siam, where he had been taught Latin, 

 which he fpoke readily. This man's name 

 was Thomas Tya, and he related that he was 

 born in Nanfiong, a place ten days journey 

 from Canton. It is the more difficult for a 

 foreigner to learn the Chinefe language, as 

 there is a mixture of nations here, who all 

 diftinguifh themfelves by their dialect, befide 

 the eaftern Tartars, who fpeak their own 

 Mantcheore language. In Tonking, Cochin 

 China, and Japan, they make ufe of the fame 

 characters as in China ; however, a Chinefe does 

 not underftand their languages. 



Sometimes the names of animals corre- 

 fpond with the noife which thefe animals 

 make; Miaa, a cat, &c. The corapofed 

 characters likewife deferve feme atten- 

 tion ; thus Tfai, which fignifies a misfortune^ 

 is compofed of Miane, a houfe, and Ho, fire, 

 fince they can image to themfelves no greater 

 misfortune than that of a houfe being reduced 

 to afhes. We can by no means pronounce 

 fome words fo well as the Chinefe, becaufe to 

 my knowledge the teeth of their upper jaw 

 {land out forwards a little : on the contrary* 

 T 2 they 



