TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 99 
The result of the comparison of the languages and dialects of Guiana with those of 
the American continent in general—namely from Baflin’s Bay and Behring’s Strait 
to Patagonia—proves, according to the author, an affinity throughout. The above 
comparative vocabulary, which consists merely of eighteen words, have afforded him 
82 cases for comparison with 102 different languages and dialects of the New World, 
These comparisons, he says, are not forced by a mere resemblance of a single syllable, 
but are obvious; and hence the opinion shared by many ethnographers, that there is 
a general affinity between the races who now inhabit the American continent, has 
received a new proof through these Guianian languages and dialects. . 
However, the Guianians are in language more closely allied to the North American 
tribes of the present day than to the Peruvians and Mexicans. ‘‘ Let us take,” he 
continues, ‘‘for example the word ‘ dog,’ which offers an affinity in five Guianian dia- 
lects to Esquimaux, Kliketat (on the north-west coast), Ottawa, Cherokee, Onondago, 
Seneca, &c., and not one instance of resemblance to a South American dialect beyond 
the province of Guiana, as far as 1 have had opportunity to compare these dialects.” 
The author concludes with the following words :— 
“ The Caribi-Tamanakan section of my Guianian languages is decidedly closer re- 
lated to the North-American tongues than the other sections, and this civeumstance 
greatly confirms me in the opinion, that we have to Jook to Florida, ‘Texas, and the 
eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains, for the origin of the Caribi-T'amanakan races. 
I consider the Tamanaks, including the Macusis, Arecunas, Pianoghottos, &e. the 
continental Caribs of South America, and those races which are now known as Cari- 
bisis and Accawais, the former inhabitants of the Lower Antilles.” 
r 
On a Uniform System to reduce Unwritten Languages to Alphabetical Wri- 
ting in Roman Characters. By Sir Ropert H. Scuompurex, Ph.D. 
The author, after remarking that the great evil connected with the confused state 
of the orthography which has been hitherto adopted for expressing the sound of un- 
written languages has heen of great disadvantage to the student of philological eth- 
nography, the traveller, and the missionary, observes, that he used for his vocabula- 
ries of the Guianian languages and dialects the sound of the Italian vowels and of 
the English consonants, and rejected all diacritical marks. 
He brought under notice that the Church Missionary Society, in connexion with 
several other missionary institutions then engaged in vernacular translations of un- 
written languages, have recently adopted a common system of orthography, which 
_ recommends itself for simplicity, and coincides with the method which has already 
_ been employed by the translators of African languages, and has likewise been suffi- 
cient for expressing the sounds of many languages of the East as well as of Africa. 
_ The system of the Church Missionary Society closely agrees with the one which 
_ the author adopted in 1836 for his vocabularies of the Guianian dialects, and is 
_ likewise applicable for those who write in the German language. It has already 
_ been employed by the great Missionary Institution at Basle, and likewise by others 
_ for translating the Scriptures into Susu, Yoruba, Haussa and Tamneh. It is there- 
fore to be hoped that the determination of these institutions to use common rules in 
reducing unwritten languages, will materially assist to advance that laudable aim of 
_ seeing a uniform orthography for unwritten languages introduced among scientific 
men, travellers and missionaries. “ And if the institutions,” says the author, ‘‘ who 
have taken the lead are only determined to persevere, the circumstance that they 
constitute not only a powerful party, but the only one at present who have to make 
 apractical application of such a system, will greatly contribute towards its general 
adoption. Such scientific bodies as the Ethnological Societies of London, Paris, and 
_ New York, might accelerate this desirable aim by giving their powerful assistance 
< towards its adoption.” 
| 
Ethnographical Note on the Vicinity of Charnwood Forest. 
By Joun Puwirs, F.RS., FG. 
While traversing on foot during several months in the early part of the year 1848 
H 2 
