448 LANGUAGES, &c. OF THE 



was, some time back, of opinion, that they are mere fanciful specimens of cali- 

 graphy. This notion is refuted by the fact of their extensive practical applica- 

 tion, of which Dr. Carey was not aware, when he gave that opinion.* By com- 

 paring one of them (the Ranja) with the fourth alphabet of the Bhotiyas, it will 

 be seen, that the general forms of the letters have a striking resemblance. Of 

 the Bhanjin Mol, I can say little : it has a very ornate appearance, and possibly, 

 if the apparently ornamental parts were stripped from the letters, they (as 

 well as the Ranja) might be traced to a Devanagari origin, from the forms of 

 which alphabet the Bauddhas might possibly alter them, in order to use them 

 as a cover to the mysteries of their faith. The Bauddhas are, originally, In- 

 dians : now, though probability may warrant our supposing that they might 

 alter existing alphabetical letters, for the purpose above hinted at, it will 

 hardly warrant our conjecturing, that they would undergo the toil of in- 

 venting entirely new characters. All follow the Devandgari arrangement, 

 and, upon the whole, I should not hesitate to assign them a Devandgari 

 origin. 



Of the Bhotiya characters, four kinds are distinguishable ; but only two 

 of them are known by name to the Newars : they are called Uclihen and 

 Umen. The third kind seems to be only a broken, or epistolary form of the 

 second, and the fourth, as already observed, bears some affinity to the Ranja. 

 There is also a character in use ascribed to the Sokhpkos, who are said to 

 be a fierce and powerful people, living on the confines of Northern Chi?ia 

 proper.! 



* It is quite obvious, that both the Alphabets referred to are the Devanagari, fancifully and 

 slightly modified H. H. W. 



f Of these, the first is the character known as that of Tibet. Some of the letters bear a resem- 

 blance to those of the Devanagari alphabet, but the rest can scarcely be referred to the same source, 

 and were probably invented by the Bauddha Missionaries after quitting India. No resemblance to 

 most of them is traceable in ancient inscriptions. — H. H. W. 



