140 BULLETIN OF THE 



see their language must necessarily encapsulate their sentences. 

 But as soon as any one of our Indian languages is reduced to writ- 

 ing, and the tribe learns to read the printed book, the agglutina- 

 tion begins to vanish, the elements of the holophrasm segregate, 

 and a copy of an Indian Bible presents a similar appearance to 

 an ordinary English book, certainly bearing not a larger propor- 

 tion of long words than one of Lord Macaulay's Essays. 



Again, written language differs from spoken in its efficiency aa 

 an instrument of thought. As is well known, the roots or funda- 

 mental forms of language are few in number. The variety of 

 ideas and thoughts which are in use among a people must be 

 attained by such devices as the moves in chess, or the combinations 

 of figures and letters in algebra. These devices are location in the 

 sentence, collocation in the sentential term, affixes or figures of 

 addition, figures of subtraction, figures of substitution, metathesis, 

 intonation and accent, and many others. 



As long as a people are in savagery or barbarism, the combina- 

 tions necessary to supply their wants are within the resources of 

 memory. There comes a time, however, when advancement must 

 cease unless memory can be subsidized. Writing, therefore, marks 

 an important era in the history of culture. It is the product, the 

 receptacle, and the instrument of thought — -just as a vase is the 

 product of the art of pottery, a receptacle in the art of husbandry, 

 and an instrument in the art of cookery. 



Summing up the differences between languages that are written 

 and those that are spoken only, the conclusion was reached that in 

 the evolution of civilization the invention of writing marks as im- 

 portant an epoch as the acquisition of speech itself. 



The Society then adjourned. 



183d Meeting. June 6th, 1880. 



The President in the Chair. 

 Twenty-eight members present. 



The first communication for the evening was by Mr. Peter 

 Collier on 



SUGAR PROM SORGHUM. 



Mr. Collier prefaced his remarks by mention of the earlier at- 

 empts to obtain sugar from the sorghum plant. Although molasses 



