OF THE INDO-CHINESE NATION'S. Q57 



MiTREYA and Ketumat, occur in a Pam^anic list of 

 the Rajas of Benares, descended from Divodasa, 

 whidi was pointed out to me by Mr. Colebrooke, 

 of whose notices I have frequently had occasion to 

 avai! myself. 



XL K'hohme'x.— Tiie K'hdhmhi language is used 

 by a nation of that name, who reside on the Me-k6n, 

 or ri\er of Kam-buchat or Camboja. It has never 

 been cultivated by Europeans, and I have had no 

 opportunity of examining it. The Siamese, from 

 whom I received my information, assured me that it 

 was entirely different from either the Tliay or the 

 Juan, or lanouage of Cochin China. The Klwhmen 

 are reckoned an ancient and learned people; and 

 were formerly subdued by the Tliay-Jhay, or ancient 

 Siamese race. The modern T'hay, or Siamese, still 

 denominate the Bali character, Nangsu Kh6m, or the 

 K'hohmen letter, from this nation. They are not, 

 liowever, supposed to have existed as a polished na- 

 tion, so early as the Law, but are believed to derive 

 their origin from the Avarlike race of mountaineers 

 named Kho, the Gueos of the early Portugueze 

 historians, who are still represented as practising 

 their ancient customs, of eating human flesh, and 

 painting and tattooing their bodies. De Barros, 

 however, seems to represent the language of the 

 Klihhmen as diflterent from that of Camboja, though 

 the Siamese do not distinguish them. " There are 

 two kingdoms," says he, " adjacent to each other, 

 and both of them maritime, which have each a pecu- 

 liar language ; the first is termed Como, and the 

 second Camboja.'' (Decad. iii. lib. 2. c. 5.) 



XII. Law. — The Law language is used by the 

 inland nation of that name, who are generallv termed, 



S 



