56 Remarks on a comparative vocabulary [Jan. 



JBaitarani. There are numerous tanks and swamps which together with 

 the forest of cocoanut and other trees as well as bamboos must render 

 it very unhealthy. 



The brahmans are more troublesome here than in any place I have 

 ever yet visited ; they complained loudly of their loss since the high 

 road through Akua Padda had been established, which deterred pil- 

 grims from visiting their khetr*. I must now take leave of Jdjipur 

 and conclude with stating that I returned to camp late in the evening 

 much fatigued, having been in motion alternately on foot and on horse- 

 back for the space of fourteen hours ; but I considered myself amply 

 repaid for my trouble. 



VII. — Remarks on " a Comparison of Indo-Chinese Languages, fyc. 

 By the Rev. W. Morton. 



The paper which appeared, under the above title, in the last, or December 

 No. of the Journal of the Asiatic Society, was no doubt perused with much 

 interest by many of the readers of that periodical. The importance of 

 such a comparison, as was therein partially instituted, of the very nu- 

 merous languages or dialects spoken hoth within and beyond the Ganges, 

 is, in every point of view, very considerable. Whether we aim at amelio- 

 rating the civil institutions of the various tribes among whom they are the 

 media of intercourse, or to communicate to them the arts and sciences and 

 purer religion of the west, and to elevate them above the debasing in- 

 fluence of cruel, impure and abominable superstitions ; or whether we 

 seek merely to obtain an accurate as well as extensive acquaintance with 

 these various dialects — in all points of view such investigations, as those 

 in question, are most important ; and the present efforts to obtain in- 

 formation of a philological nature by the Sadiya missionaries, directed to 

 these ends are cousequently highly laudable. 



J. Of their execution of the task undertaken I can say but little, and 

 that little must almost be confined to the language of our own Province 

 of Bengal Of course the excellent individual who furnished the i( Com- 

 parison," will take my observations in good part, as my design is simply, 

 and in good faith, to throw in my mite of aid to him in his useful in- 

 vestigations, as well as to draw the attention of others to the subject. 



1. In the " Comparison of the Bengali and Asamese," it is stated that 

 " above six-tenths of the most common words are identical, except with 

 slight variations of pronunciation." Now I have carefully examined 

 the list of words from whicli this conclusion is drawn, and find that up- 

 wards of eight-tenths would be the more correct statement ; and that, of the 

 60 words, 50 are identical in Bengali and Asamese. For, the most has not 

 been made of the analogy between the two languages, by the introduction, 



* The highway to Cuttack lay through Jhjipur before the new road was made. 



