438 



ETKNOLOGY. 



[Sect. XIII. 



III. Layiguage^ Poetry, Literature. 



A no other means have contributed so much to the 

 increase of ethnology, and to the ascertaining of the con- 

 nexions and relationship of diffijrent nations, as a compa- 



ngn 



reat care bhoiild be taken in every 

 newly discovered country, and among tribes whose history 

 is not perfectly known, to collect the most correct informa- 

 ion as to the language of the people. 

 Among tribes of people who have any poetry or other 





literature, pains should be taken to obtain the best spe- 

 cimens of composition in their languages. Manuscripts 

 in their languages should be procured if it can possibly be 

 done ; and it would be worth while to incur even a consi- 

 derable expense rather than forego such an opportunity. 



In countries where the inhabitants have no knowledge 

 of letters, it may sometimes be found that they have pre- 

 served oral compositions, generally in some sort of verse, 

 which they have recorded in their memory, and handed 

 down from one generation to another. It would be very 



case 



specimen of any such pieces, and to select any which relate 

 to the ancient and primaeval history of the people. 



T 

 X 



f no literature or compositions of any kind have been 

 preserved, the best things that can be done will be the 

 following : 



I. To get some intelligent person to translate into the 

 prevailing language some continuous composition, and to 



reatest care. Get in 

 the first place the Lord's Prayer, since this same compo- 

 sition has been most frequently collected already, and 



copy it from his moutli with the 



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