Chase.] 232 ^'^^y- 



These three conjectures, as well as some others of minor import- 

 ance, have been most completely and satisfactorily substantiated by 

 the discoveries of the modern English, French, and German Egyp- 

 tologists. In one important particular, the analogy between the two 

 systems appears to be even closer than M. de Guignes anticipated. 

 He considered the use of phonetics in Chinese to be more infrequent 

 and imperfect than in Egyptian, but the conclusions of Bunsen in 

 regard to syllabic hieroglyphs, and Sharpe's groupings of supposed 

 hieroglyphic equivalents, render it probable that the resemblance was 

 carried out into the minutest details, — even to the occasional em- 

 ployment of final characters to represent the final sounds of a word, 

 as well as of initial characters to represent the initial sounds. 



Sir Wm. Jones early announced his reasons for believing in a 

 common origin of the Chinese, Egyptian, Shemitic, and Aryan types 

 of civilization, and many other eminent antiquarians and ethnologists 

 have been led by different paths to the same conclusion. My own 

 studies have tended at nearly every step to impress me with a similar 

 belief, and I hope at some future meeting to lay before the Society 

 some farther results of my own investigations, as well as some con- 

 firmations of the most important hypotheses of M. de Guignes. To 

 him will ever belong the honor, of having been one of the first to 

 suggest that the evidences of a common oi'igin are still traceable in the 

 records of two of the oldest known forms of civilization, and though 

 he may have erred in supposing that the relation of China to 

 Egypt was filial, rather than fraternal, the error was natural, excus- 

 able, and comparatively unimportant. 



Mr. Lesley, at the request of the members present at the 

 meeting of the Board of Officers, gave a verbal narrative of 

 the organization of the National Academy of Sciences, on the 

 22d-24th April, in the Chapel of the University, in the City 

 of New York, 



The Minutes of the last meeting of the Board of Officers 

 and Members of Council were read. 



Pending nomination No. 494, and new nominations Nos. 

 495 to 505, were read. 



And the Society was adjourned. 



