Language of Manila. 295 



inhabiting the most inaccessible parts of the island, to be 

 able to pronounce a correct opinion upon such a point. 

 The probabilities are not less that the Negritos and Igorotcs 

 stand in the same relation to the dwellers on the coast as the 

 Bushmen to the Hottentots, the Weddahs to the Cingalese, 

 or the savages of Sambalong to the natives of the rest of the 

 Nicobars. 



The Spanish language is only available in Manila and the 

 vicinity ; — a few miles in the interior, even in places which 

 hold almost daily communication with Manila, Tagal is much 

 more commonly used. At present Tagal is written and 

 printed exclusively in the Roman character. While in 

 Manila, we never once saw a book or MS. in which the 

 ancient character had been used. Even the oldest printed 

 matter, such as, for instance, a Tagal grammar, published in 

 Manila in 1610, contains only a few samples of the native 

 alphabet, while as to its original arrangement, as also the 

 form of the numerals, the utmost uncertainty prevails. The 

 entire alphabet, which, including the three vowels, consists of 

 but 17 letters, comprises the following characters : 



Vowels. 

 •^/^ =3 a yf^ = e and i ^ = ° *n*l "• 



ta va ya 



