Mr. Du Ponceau on the Chineie Language. 15 



breadth of | of a mile. It is remarkable for the narrow lake 

 (If mile long) which it contains running parallel to its length. 

 Great Gallop Island, 2^ miles from Stony Island, is 4 miles 



long, with a mean width of one mile. 



Grenadier Island, \\ miles about S.E. from "Long Point" 

 of Grand Island, is 2\ miles long by 1^ m.ile broad. 

 [To be continued]. 



II. Letter from Captain Basil Hall, R.N. F.R.S. L. a?id E. S^c. 

 inclosing a Communication from Peter S. Du Ponceau, Esq. 

 of Philadelphia, On some Points connected isoith the Mature 

 of the Chinese Language. 



To the Editors of the Philosophical Magazine and Annals. 

 Gentlemen, 

 TN a woi'k which I published some years ago, I stated as a 

 "*• curious fact in the history of language, that while the in- 

 habitants of China, Corea, and Loo Choo, all spoke different 

 languages, they made use of one common written character; 

 and consequently that the people of those countries, though 

 ignorant of one another's dialects, immediately understood, 

 respectively, what was meant when the thoughts of any one of 

 them were reduced to writing. 



I cannot recollect where I picked up the above notion ; but 

 I believed it to be a current doctrine amongst philologists, till 

 I had the pleasure of making acquaintance with Mr. Du Pon- 

 ceau, in the United States of America, who very soon satis- 

 fied me that I had unconsciously been the means of propaga- 

 ting error. He has since done me the kindness to send me his 

 opinions on this interesting question ; and I shall be very happy 

 if by publishing his communication you will aid me in rectifying 

 the mistake into which my ignorance of such subjects has led 

 me. 



I have only to add that Mr. Du Ponceau is President of the 

 American Philosophical Society, and of the Athenaeum at Phi- 

 ladelphia, and Corresponding Member of the Institute of 

 France. I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c. 



Dunglass, Dunbar, 25th Nov. 1828. Basil Hall. 



My dear Sir, Philadelphia, 7th July, 1828. 



Our mutual friend Mr. Vaughan has handed to me your 



polite letter of the 29th ult. I was much surprised, and at the 



same time highly flattered to find tliat the few observations 



I took the liberty to make to you on the writing of the Chinese, 



whoi\ 



