1840.] from Bactrian and Indo- Scythian coins. 487 



pilgrims. Here Remusat's assertion, that Kipin is the country 

 about the Kophen, seems to be confirmed. It is the tract 

 about the sources of the river rising to the west of Cabul. It 

 accords with this opinion (to maintain) that Kipin was distin- 

 guished as a state independent of Kiapiche and Falanou, and 

 is made mention of as a principality which bordered upon Gan- 

 dhara, and at one time also possessed Udjana. It is likewise in 

 accordance with the above, to distinguish Kaofu, by which term 

 Cabul seems to be meant, from Kipin. The one fact is evident, 

 that the word Kipin was used in a more extended and more 

 limited sense at different periods. The Chinese accounts most 

 forcibly support what has been already theoretically inferred 

 from the geographical character of the Cabul districts, that they 

 easily split into a number of petty principalities, subjected to con- 

 stant alteration as regarded their extent and their boundaries. 



§12. 

 The Alphabetical Characters. 



We will first inquire as to the letters (used in these countries), 

 and this inquiry will be made rather with reference to their 

 historical than their paleographic relations, as these latter can- 

 not be explained in all their bearings (consequences), without 

 our having obtained the perfect alphabet. 



First, as to their nature. The letters are partly independent, 

 i. e. such as occupy their own places in the line, and partly 

 dependent, such as the vowel signs; the former are either con- 

 sonants, or diphthongs, or vowels commencing a syllable. 



Let me first put together the consonants, as we have disco- 

 vered them. 



Gutturals: >j. k ; £. kh; ^. h. 



Palatals: a. (j) 



Dentals: "I. t n. d; £, dh. 



Labials: P. p. J" 1 , f. (doubtful.) 



Semivowels: A, j. "I. r. p. 1 ; X. v. 



Sibilants: *T. z; V. sh. n. s. 



Nasals: u. m. i, I, n. 



Finally, an uncertain sign f . 



