236 



affirmed) to their minds, ideas unconnected with words. Bishop 

 Taberd asserts, on the contrary, that the Cochin Chinese and Chinese 

 cannot understand each other, either orally or in writing; and that the 

 Chinese is, in Cochin China, a learned language, which is studied 

 by the better class, who, by that means, can communicate with the 

 Chinese, but not by means of the vulgar language, spoken or writ- 

 ten.* 



The following extract contains a statement of these facts in Bishop 

 Taberd's own words. 



" Prsecipuum nunc nobis incumbit pauca de characteribus nee non 

 de lingua Anamitica delibare. Dubium non est quin Anamitarum lingua 

 a Sinensi ortum ducat. Ipsorum enim characteres non tantum mag- 

 nam habent affinitatem cum Sinensibus, sed vel integre vel particu- 

 latim ab ipsis mutuantur. Attamen utriusque gentis characteres seu 

 hieroglyphi talem subiere commutationem, ut neque legendo, neque 

 loquendo se invicem intelligant. Qui ex honesta oriuntur familia 

 Sinensibus characteribus dant operam, illi enim characteres in usu 

 sunt apud Anamitas turn in legibus turn in supplicibus libellis et aliis. 

 Qui magna spectant, vel honoribus dignitatibusque inhiant, toto pec- 

 tore animique impetu in characterum Sinensium studium incumbere 

 debent, et hos scribendo characteres cum Sinensibus colloqui possunt, 

 adeo diversus est pronunciationis modus inter utramque gentem, ut 

 aliter sermonem mutuum habere nequeant. Unde duse linguae usur- 

 pantur in Cocincina ; scilicet, lingua Doctorum, seu lingua Sinensis, 

 et lingua communis quse in usu quotidiano ab omnibus adhibetur et 

 de-qua nunc sermonem habemus." Monit. p. 1. 



Dr. Hare presented copies of a French translation of a Com- 

 munication, which he had made to the Society, on the subject 

 of Tornadoes, and in reference to a Memoir, by M. Peltier, on 

 the Cause of these Meteors. (See Proceedings of the Society 

 for October 4, 1839, No. 8. p. 122.) The Communication 

 had been translated by him into French, and sent to each 

 member of the National Institute, with the object of showing 

 that the view of M. Peltier, as contained in the Journal des 

 Debuts of the 17th of July last, was essentially the same as 

 the one which he (Dr. Hare) had offered relative to these me- 

 teors; and also that the allegation made before the Academy, 



* This, as the Transactions and Proceedings of the Society testify, has al- 

 ways been the opinion of Mr. Du Ponceau; but it has been much combated 

 both in Asia and Europe, 



