BAUDDHAS, &c. OF NEPAL. 417 



All these circumstances were reversed in regard to the mountainous 

 tracts, whose people were comparatively few, and those few cut off from easy 

 commerce with one another by huge barriers every where intervening. 



Hence they remained so long poor in words and ideas, that when the 

 Hindu colonists (probably in the 15th century, in greatest numbers) came 

 among them, those colonists were enabled, without much difficulty, to make 

 their own speech and creed prevail over those of the aborigines. 



A variety of characters is met with in the Nepalese books, both Newari Letters. 

 and Bhottyaf some of which are now obsolete, and are undecypherable. A 

 manuscript, of which a copy is forwarded, contains a collection of these 

 Alphabets, each bearing a separate designation, and differing, in some degree, 

 from those now in use. Of the Newari, three kinds of letters are most fami- 

 liarly known, and four of the Bhotiya.* 



The three Newari alphabets are denominated Bhanjin Mola, Ranja, and 

 Newari. Whether these three sorts of letters were formerly used by the 

 Siva Mdrgi Newars, I cannot say, but old Bauddha works exhibit them all, 

 especially the two former. Newari alone is now used by both sects of Newars 

 for profane purposes, and for sacred, both often employ the Devandgari, 

 oftener the Newari. If the Siva Mdrgi Newars ever used (which I doubt,) 

 Bhanjin Mola, or Ranja, at least, they do so no longer, or the Bauddhas having 

 long ceased ordinarily to employ those letters, in making copies of their scrip- 

 tures, few Bauddhas can now write them ; and the learned only (who are ac- 

 customed to refer to their old works of religion,) can read them with facility. 



In regard to the origin of these letters, we may, without hesitation, refer 

 the Newari to Ndgari ; but the other two present more difficulties. Dr. Carey 



• See Plates. 



