oct. — MAE. 1858-59.] for the Indian characters. 247 



Bindu doubled is a symbol for kh. (!) 

 Raibha is the symbol for r preceding another consonant. 

 Matransi is the symbol for r following another consonant. 

 Yangsi is the symbol for y following another consonant. 



Sanyaga has two powers : first, before the rough Unguals it is 

 the sign of the corresponding smooth lingual, also before w it 

 stands for d. Second, before all other consonants it stands for a 

 nasal pronounced slightly. (!) 



On studying the above scheme of symbols, with the conflicting 

 rules respecting their position and their double or treble conflict- 

 ing significations, the apologists of the Deva-nagari, Telugu, Ta- 

 mil, and other characters, have an excellent opportunity of forming 

 an unbiassed judgment respecting the merits of the Indian system 

 of writing. If they have not already learnt Singhalese, I have no 

 doubt that they are unanimously of opinion, that it would be un- 

 wise to give their sanction to the use of such a character, or to do 

 any thing that would ensure its perpetuation, seeing that it is so 

 evident that it must be an obstacle to education. They will ad- 

 mit at once that it would be a mercy to poor Singhalese children 

 to set them free, if it were possible, from the necessity of getting 

 up these minute, intricate, perplexing rules. " Bradshaw" itself 

 would be a pleasant easy study for children of five years of age in 

 comparison with this alphabetical puzzle ! One would almost 

 imagine that it had been the wish of the Singhalese schoolmasters 

 to invent a system of writing which should enable them to keep 

 all the knowledge in the island in their own hands for ever. In 

 forming this judgment of the Singhalese, however, the Indian 

 systems will be found to come under the same condemnation ; for, 

 after all, on a careful comparison of each of the Singhalese sym- 

 bols with its counterpart in Tamil and Telugu, I have not been 

 able. to see any essential difference between the system of Ceylon 

 and the systems of Southern India. For example, it is a rule of 

 the Tamil, as well as of the Singhalese, mode of writing, that the 

 symbols which represent the vowels e and ei, in combination with 

 the consonants, precede the consonants to which they belong, 

 though they are pronounced after them. Thus " \ 7 eda" is written 

 in Tamil " evda" though it is pronounced veda, and " Veigei," 



