oct — MiE. 1858-59.] for the Indian characters. 2 48f 



There is also an ulterior disadvantage. Even those who are 

 most fully resolved to learn the vernacular of their district thorough - 

 ly, and who complain least of the difficulty cf the character, are 

 often deterred by similar difficulties from learning any additional 

 vernacular. Each of the principal languages of India unfortunate- 

 ly possesses a character of its own, and hence, notwithstanding 

 the closeness of the relation subsisting between the Bengali, the 

 Hindi, the Gujarathi, and the Marathi, the principal languages of 

 the Sanscritic family, and in like manner between the Tamil, the 

 Telugu, the Canarese, and the Malayalam, the principal languages 

 of the Dravidian family — ^a relationship which is so close that one 

 might easily learn the differences between the various languages 

 of the same family, in grammar and use of words, without the aid 

 of a teacher, if one character only were used instead of many, yet 

 the fact is that few Europeans, besides those who are required by 

 the rules of the public service, acquire any acquaintance with more 

 than one of the vernacular tongues. If every Tamil scholar were 

 enabled to read books in the cognate languages, without the trou- 

 ble of learning a new character, few persons would neglect so easy 

 and interesting a study, and the consequence would be, not only 

 that Tamil scholarship would be much riper, I believe, than it is, 

 but also that every one who wished to make himself useful in his 

 generation would be enabled without difficulty to double or treble 

 his capacity for usefulness, 



b. The use of the Roman character would facilitate native educa- 

 tion. I have just said that foreigners, though they may be well 

 acquainted with the Indian vernaculars, are rarely able to read them 

 fluently, but the same deficiency may generally be noticed amongst 

 the Natives themselves. Natives who are employed in the public 

 service, are enabled, by dint of constant practice, to read with much 

 facility, but the great majority of the people, including the majo- 

 rity even of the schoolmasters, read with much hesitation and dif- 

 ficulty. In the rural districts, a fluent reader is almost as rare as 

 a profound scholar. The accuracy of this statement will be ad- 

 mitted by every missionary who has been brought into contact with 

 the masses, and who has tested the ability to read of those who 

 have asked him for tracts and books. The hesitancy with which 



