240 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
This language is wholly without a literature, 
being purely colloquial; "but, as such, it is 
perfect and pure. Its origin is unknown ; but 
several of the derivatives of the words are 
easily traceable to the Arabic and Hebrew 
tongues. The " Awa" Yes is used alike by 
Arabs and Kaffirs. So also "Aid* ISTo. 
Kafr itself is a word of Arabic root. "It 
is therefore very reasonable to expect/ 7 to use 
the words of Mr. Appleyard; "that a traveller, 
tolerably conversant with the language and cus- 
toms of the Kaffirs, would be able to throw a 
considerable degree of light upon the origin of 
this language and people, as well as their past 
migratory movements, by a journey through the 
numerous tribes which lie between the river 
Mle and the Eed Sea, and skirt the Southern 
parts of Abyssinia. On many accounts there 
are good grounds for believing that they were 
of Ishmaelitish descent ; and, consequently, that 
they are of the same origin as many of the 
tribes of Arabia." 
Ere concluding this notice of their language, it 
may not be wholly uninteresting to the curious, 
to insert here a few specimens of it. We con- 
sequently give a few common-place sentences of 
every-day occurrence, which will serve to ex- 
hibit its singular melody of sound, and the 
peculiarities of its construction. 
