92 On an Universal Character. 
do:—it is merely to extend to words in general, what 
we now apply only to those words that denote 
numbers. 
That this may be done, is obvious from the ex- 
ample just given. That it actually has been done 
for upwards of three thousand years past, by the 
Chinese nation, admits of the clearest proof. And 
that the powerful nations of Japan, Siam, and 
Tonquin (all of which use languages very diffe- 
rent from each other and from the Chinese) read 
the writings of each other*—in short, make use of 
the same written characters in all respects, is like- 
wise an undeniable fact. The discovery then is re- 
* Thus it is remarked by Sir George Staunton, that a 
missionary, who was of his party, could not, in any de- 
gree, understand the conversation of the inhabitants of 
Condore; * but when the words were written, they in- 
stantly became intelligible to him, Though their collo- 
quial language was altogether different from what is 
spoken in China, yet the characters were all Chinese: and 
the fact was clearly ascertained on this occasion, that those 
' characters have an equal advantage with Arabic numbers, 
of which the figures convey the same meaning wherever 
known ; whereas the letters of other languages denote not 
things but elementary sounds, which, combined variously 
together, form words or more complicated sounds, convey- 
ing different ideas in different languages, though the form 
of their alphabet be the same.’? Authentic Account of an 
Embassy to the Emperor of China, vol, 1, page 312. 
E, H. 
Stet PSS oe = == 
ee ee EO Se ag eee ee ee 
ed 
— 
