J26 COMPARATIVE VOCABULARY. 



Instructions were added to ensure, as far as possible, unifor- 

 mity of spelling in the dialects, and the following preface of 

 explanation and guidance completed the paper : — 



t; The Council of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic 

 " Society have resolved to invite the assistance of persons residing 

 " or travelling in the Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, or in the 

 " adjacent countries, with a view to the collection of fuller and 

 " more varied information than has been hitherto obtained in 

 " regard to the Wild Tribes of these regions. 



" The interest such investigations possess for Ethnology, 

 " Philology, &c, and the importance of prosecuting them without 

 " delay, are sufficiently obvious. The following passage from 

 " Mr. Logan's writings ( I. A. Journal, 1850, vol. IV., pp. 264-5 ) 

 " will instruct those to whom the subject is new as to the precise 

 " objects to be aimed at, and the best methods of enquiry to 

 * l follow : — 



" * For the Ethnology of any given region, the first require- 

 " ' ment is a full and accurate description of each tribe in it, and 

 " ' in the adjacent and connected regions, as it exists at present 

 " ; and has existed in recent or historical times. This embraces 

 " ' the geographical limits and the numbers of the tribe, the Phy- 

 " ' sical Greography of its location, and its relations of all kinds to 

 " ' intermixed, surrounding, and more distant tribes. The envi- 

 " ' ronments of the race thus ascertained, the individual man must 

 " ' be described in his physiological and mental characteristics and 

 " ' in his language. The family in all its peculiarities of formation 

 " ' and preservation, the relative position of its members, its 

 " i labours and its amusements, must next be studied. The agglo- 

 " ' meration of families into communities, united socially but not 

 " ' politically, is also to be considered. Lastly, the clan, society, 

 " ' tribe or nation as a political unity, either isolated, confederate, 

 " ' or subordinate, must be investigated in all its institutions, 



" ' customs and relations 



" ' "When we attempt to enquire into the case or origin of any of 



