224 ON THE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE 



ail the vocalic sounds in the Rukhhig alphabet, but 

 only to those sounds of this species, which are of 

 most general use. A similar contrivance for the ex- 

 pression of accent, occurs in all the alphabets of the 

 monosyllabic languages, but varies, in extent, ac- 

 cording to the exigencies of a particular language. 

 Thus, in Ru/cheng, after the simple alphabet, follow 

 the combinations of the simple letters, with wa, ya^ 

 ra^ and of h preceding them. Then follow some 

 triple combinations of the same letters, after which 

 are exhibited the common forms of syllables which 

 terminate in a consonant, as ak, ang, aich, a% a'p^ 

 and others of a similar kind ; and finally the varieties 

 of accent, as acute and grave, are presented, in those 

 vowels and nasals which are chiefly subject to be 

 influenced by them. 



The RukkSng character has considerable similarity 

 to the Burma, in the greatei' part of its letters. The 

 following simple characters, however, g'ha, ja, jha, 

 nya, ta, fha, da, dim, na, 'd'ka, ra, lla, as well as some 

 of the more complex combinations, difli^er greatly 

 from the respective forms of these characters in the 

 Barma alphabet, and exhibit considerable resemblance 

 to some of tlie ancient Canara characters. The 

 Rukhhig simple alphabet is exhibited with considera- 

 ble correctness by Capt. J. Towers, in the filth 

 volume of the Asiatic Researches, though many of 

 his particular observations, as well as general views, 

 are far from being accurate ; chiefly, it may be; pre- 

 sumed, from the novelty of the investigation. 



The Rukkeng language, in the simplicity <5f 

 ks structure and' expression, has great analogy 

 to the Malayu, It has properly no numbers, 



