ON THE EMPIRE OF THE HITTITES. 65 
The Cuarrman (A. McArthur, Esq., M.P.).—I have to con- 
gratulate the Institute on so large an attendance on such an unfavourable 
night, and I am sure that all present will cordially join in returning a vote 
of thanks to Dr. Wright for his very able paper. It is now open for any 
present to offer remarks upon the subject dealt with. 
Mr. H. Dunyina Mactrop.—May Lask Dr. Wright how far he considers 
the Hittite empire of which he speaks to have extended towards the west ? 
Does he consider it to have included Troy ? 
Rev. Dr. Wricut.—Yes. The remains are found as far as Smyrna 
and ancient Ephesus; in fact, to use the language of Dr. Isaac Taylor, 
as far as the Aigean. 
Rey. Dr. Wricut.—I may be allowed to express my pleasure at 
seeing M. de Lacouperie here; because it so happened that after I 
had finished my paper I came upon an article written by him which 
was of the greatest interest to me, and one of which I should have 
taken notice in my paper if I had had time to do so. In that 
article he gives an account of the Kushites, and I hope we shall 
hear more from him upon that subject. He also makes a suggestion 
which I trust will receive due attention,—after referring to the manner in 
which the Kushites spread over the country, he says : “ Those who ascended 
the Euphrates carried their rude art of writing, half phonetic half pictorial, 
to the north of Palestine, where it became the Hittite writing; and from 
hence they advanced along the Mediterranean shores of Asia Minor, founding 
those establishments, colonies, and that trade which came by inheritance 
to the Carians and to the Pheenicians.” He then gives this suggestion in a 
foot-note :—‘‘ There are strong reasons to believe that the Babylonian and 
EKeyptian writing have sprung from a former system.” If this be proved it 
will reconcile many things that are now opposite. ‘‘They have many 
symbols in common, with similar phonetic values, which are not loan signs. 
A list of such signs was begun by Professor Hommel and by myself, 
independently, and requires only to be extended for being published. 
Professor Hommel thinks that the Egyptian writing was derived from that of 
Babylon, and says that he can put forward some facts in support of this 
view. For my part I find that there are cogent reasons to believe that both 
writings have come from an older system, which has also produced the 
Hittite hieroglyphics and the pictorial figures and symbols which were 
preserved on the black stone of Susa, the born stones of Babylonia, and 
also preserved in some later symbols which may be the relics of the older 
system in that region.” This, to my mind, presents an extremely inte- 
resting field for investigation. I ought to add that this article appears 
in the second number of a new magazine called The Babylonian and 
Oriental Record. 
Mr. W. Sr. Cuapv Boscawen, F.R. Hist. Soc.—Perhaps, as the subject 
is one in which I personally take great interest, I may be allowed 
to say a few words upon it. Dr. Wright has, I must say, given 
us a very excellent résumé of the progress that has been made in relation to 
