296 Voyage of the Novara. 



A dot above the character changes the vowel sound a of the original consonants 



into e and i. 



A dot below the character changes the vowel sound a of the original consonant 



into o and ic. 



From the foregoing characters it would appear that a and 

 0, as also e and i^ da and r^, ji?(« and fa^ had each but one and 

 the same character.* — Besides the Tagal, five other difierent 

 idioms are used by the civilized races of Luzon, namely, 

 Bisaya, Pangasinana (the same as Ilocano), Tbanac (same as 

 Cagayana), Bicol, and Pampanya. 



The Tagals are a small race, of a clear yellow complexion, 

 and, notwithstanding their broad flat noses and thick lips, 

 are by no means of unpleasing appearance. The hair of the 

 head is rigid, bristly, and black; the beard very sparse. 



* We borrow this alphabet from the valuable work of Baron von Hiigel, entitled 

 the Pacific Ocean and the Spanish Colonies of the Indian Archipelago (Vienna, 

 printed at the Imperial Press, 1860), and believe the reader will the more gratefully 

 welcome it that only a small number of copies of Baron von Hiigel's interesting 

 journal were printed in manuscript for private circulation. 



