Vol. ilt; Mifcelianea Curiofa. 225 



in which Charafters or Ways of Writing ^ 

 Vowel is always join'd with a Cbnfonant in-^ 

 to one compound Charafter to make it efFabler 

 And then the fingle Strokes may be takea 

 for fingle ineffable Letters as are the Confb- 

 nants, and the compofition of two or three 

 (of which one at leaft may be a Vowel) will 

 make Syllables* 



Of this kind, there are riot lb many in the 

 whole Chinefe Charafter, but that it will ht 

 eafie enough to aflign each a proper Mona- 

 fyllable which (hall only have i or 1 Goiifb-*- 

 nants, and one or two Vowels j th^t is^ the 

 Confbnants together, and not feparate, ei-* 

 ther both behind the Vowel or Vowels ^ if 

 irbe a Dipthong or both after it or them* 



Of this kind, I underftand there are about 

 500, probably 8x8x8, or $12. I could enu^ 

 Bierate a great many, and give you alfo the 

 Name or Words by which they are pronoun* 

 ced as alfo their fignification, but (as I faid 

 before) firfl:^ I Conceive the prefent Chimfe 

 Language to have no affinity at all with the 

 Gharafter, the true primitive, or firft Lan- 

 guage, or Prominciatton of it, having been 

 loft. And fecondly^ I want fome further 

 help to make a full and compleat Difcovery t 

 What I have learn'd from the Book of Fohi 

 1 lhall give the next opportunity ^ which will 

 explain the reafbn of the multiplication of 8» 

 and the order and method of places in the 

 Letter or Word fquar^* 



The third fort of Ch^raders, is a decom* 

 pounded fort being made upof two^ three or 

 int)re of thofe of the fecond kind, diminilh'd 

 l^roportionably in their fize, either as to thelf 

 t- Q- length, 



