235 



of the Society, and containing astronomical observations in 

 reference to Galle's comets. 



The communication was referred to the Committee on As- 

 tronomical Observations. 



Mr. Breck, after some prefatory remarks, presented for the 

 Library, and read, a Manuscript Essay, written by him for the 

 Society, and entitled "Historical Sketch of the Continental 

 Bills of Credit, from the year 1775 to 1781, with Specimens 

 thereof;" which was referred to the Historical Committee. 



Mr. Du Ponceau announced that the Society would receive 

 at their next meeting, the Anamitic and Latin, and Latin and 

 Anamitic Dictionaries, lately published by the Right Reverend 

 Father Taberd, Bishop of Isauropolis, and Vicar General of 

 Cochin China, which he had mentioned to the Society at a 

 former meeting, as in course of publication. 



This valuable work was printed at Serampore, under the auspices, 

 and, it is understood, at the expense, of the British Government in 

 India, and of the East India Company, to whom the' learned world 

 are already indebted for the publication of the important labours of 

 the late Dr. Morrison, and other works, which have thrown conside- 

 rable light on the Chinese language, and who are now, with the same 

 liberality, extending the knowledge of the Indo-Chinese idioms, which, 

 until lately, were entirely unknown in America and Europe. It will 

 not be forgotten, Mr. Du Ponceau added, that this Society was the 

 first to make known the Anamitic language, by the publication of 

 Father Morrone's French and Cochin Chinese Vocabulary, and of 

 the Latin and Cochin Chinese Dictionary, in use among the Mission- 

 aries in Cochin China, which works, though not so full and so com- 

 plete as those published by Bishop Taberd, were the first to shed 

 light on that branch of philological science. 



Mr. Du Ponceau further observed, that these publications have set- 

 tled a point, which has been warmly contested by travellers, and 

 others who have contended (and the view has even gained belief 

 among sinologists) that not only the Anamites, whose languages are 

 monosyllabic, and formed on the model of that of China, but the Japa- 

 nese and Loo Chooans, whose idioms are polysyllabic and formed on 

 quite different principles, could converse with the Chinese and with 

 each other, without knowing one word of each other's spoken lan- 

 guage, by means of the Chinese characters, which presented (it was 



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