1866.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 139 



originated to meet the requirements of Turanian (Dravidian) dialects. 

 5. The Pehlvi was the offspring of later and already modified 

 Phoenician letters ; and 6. The Zend was elaborated out of the 

 limited elements of the Pehlvi writing, but by a totally different 

 method from that followed in the adaptation of the Semitic Bactrian. 

 Mr. Thomas then proceeded to advert to the single point open to 

 discussion, involved under the fourth head, tracing the progress of 

 the successive waves of Aryan immigration from the Oxus into the 

 provinces of Ariana and the Hindu Kush, and the downward course 

 of the Pastoral races from their first entry into the Punjab, and the 

 associate crude chants of the Vedic hymns, to the establishment of 

 the cultivated Brahmanic institutions on the banks of the Sarasvati, 

 and the elaboration of Sanskrit grammar at Taxila, — connecting the 

 advance of their literature with the simplified but extended alphabet 

 they constructed in the Arianian provinces out of a very archaic type 

 of Phoenician, and whose graphic efficiency was so singularly aided 

 by the free use of birch bark. This alphabet continued in use as the 

 official writing under the Greek and Indo- Scythian rulers of Northern 

 India, until it was superseded by the superior fitness and capabilities 

 of the local Pali, which is proved by Asoka's scattered inscriptions 

 on rocks and monoliths (Ldts) to have constituted the current writing 

 of the continent of India in b.c. 250 ; while a similar, if not identical 

 character is seen to have furnished the prototype of all the varying 

 systems of writing employed by the different nationalities of India 

 at large, from Sind to Ceylon, and spreading over Burmah, till the 

 Indian Pali meets Chinese alphabets on their own soil in Annam. 

 In conclusion, Mr. Thomas pointed out the importance of the dis- 

 coveries of Norris and Caldwell, derived from completely independent 

 sources, regarding the Scythic origin of the introductory Indian 

 alphabets." 



Mr. Campbell said he would gladly have left the honour of the 

 Hindus in the hands of the learned Babu opposite, but in default of 

 any one more competent, he would make one or two observations. 

 It appeared to him that the Nagaree character was very much adapted 

 to the Sanscrit and Hindee languages. We found how different it 

 was when we try to express these tongues in Roman or Persian 

 characters. If then the Nagaree character was not invented for 



