533 



A BRIEF 



VOCABULARY OF LANGUAGES, 



IT was my original intention to confine the following Vocabulary 

 simply to those words which would have served as comparisons 

 for Philological purposes, and the observations of Mr. Adams 

 applied directly to that object. The materials in my possession 

 appeared, however, of so much importance to seamen visiting 

 the regions to which the Vocabulary referred, that it has in- 

 sensibly swelled in volume to its present dimensions ; and will, 

 I trust, serve the purpose of aiding visitors in obtaining supplies, 

 or in making known either distress or important wants. It 

 is not given with any pretension to a knowledge of the various 

 languages of which it is composed ; all I claim is a most scrupulous 

 attention to the authorities from which it has been compiled, and, 

 from the nature of the very conflicting documents, a labour far 

 beyond what I had anticipated. 



The work was commenced amongst the Islands of the Eastern 

 Archipelago, with the intention of completing, as my own study 

 should qualify me, a general Vocabulary for those regions and 

 upon the most extended scale. Our return before this could be 

 carried out, compelled me to cut off the work at the point to which 

 it would be useful to the Philologist ; and in this state only it now 

 appears, although more extensive materials remain for further 

 pursuit. I will, therefore, merely state the authorities which have 

 been consulted, and trust my production to the mercy of critics, 

 as a melange of well-authorized words in their several language!*. 



