£20 COMPARATIVE VOCABULARY OF THE 



ance of having been flattened ; and the apertures of 

 the noftrils, which in the European are linear and pa- 

 rallel, in them are nearly circular and divergent ; for 

 the feptum marium being much thicker! towards the 

 face, places them entirely out of the parallel line. 

 The mouths of this nation are in general well fhaped; 

 their hair is harfh, lank, and black. Thole of them 

 that live even in the warmeft climates, do not obtain 

 the deep hue of the negro or Hindu ; nor do fuch of 

 them as live in the colder! countries, acquire the clear 

 '.loom of the European. 



In adventitious circumftances, fuch as laws, cuftoms, 

 government, political maxims, religion, and literature, 

 there is alfo a itrono; refemblance among; the different 

 lutes compoiing this great nation ; no doubt ariiing 

 from the frequent intercourfe that has been among 

 themi 



But it is very furprifing, that a wonderful difference 

 of language mould prevail. Language of all adven- 

 titious circumitances, is the fureft guide in tracing the 

 migrations and connections of nations ; and how in a 

 nation, which bears fuch ftrong marks of being one, ra- 

 dically the fame, languages totally different inould 

 prevail, I cannot, at prefent, pretend to conjecture : 

 but, in order to ailift, in accounting for the circum- 

 ltance, having, during my ifay in the Burma empire, 

 been at fome pains to collect a comparative vocabulary 

 of fuch of the languages fpoken in it as opportunity of- 

 fered, I have thought it might be curious to publiln 

 it. I am fenlible of its many imperfections : but it is 

 a beginning, which I hope hereafter to make more 

 complete ; and, where I fail, others, without doubt, 

 will be more fuccefsful. 



In all attempts to trace the migrations and connec- 

 tions pf tribes by means of language, it ought to be 

 carefully remembered, that a few coincidences, ob- 

 tained by karchiug through the whole extent of two 



dictionaries, 



