[ 495 } 
Thefe accents do yet more ; they give a certain har- 
mony, and pointed cadence, to the moft ordinary 
phrafes: with regard to clearnefs, let fadt decide. 
The Chinefe fpeak as fall: as we do, fay more things 
in fewer words, and underftand one another. 
The Chinefe have no diftind: knowledge of the in- 
vention of writing; as our author proves by quotations 
from their moft antient books ; which are involved in 
fable, and contradid each other. One of them in- 
deed mentions this curious particular ; that Fou-hi> 
by introducing the eight Koua, or elementary cha- 
raders, put an end to the ufe of knots upon cords,, 
for the purpofes of government ; which feems to be 
analogous to what has been obferved in America. 
The author defines the Chinefe charaders, accord- 
ing to his conception of them in their origin, to be 
images and fymbols which fpeak to the mind by the 
eyes. Images, for fenfible things ; fymbols, for 
mental. Images and fymbols which are tied to no 
found, and may be read in every tong^ue. The book 
Tjee-hio4ea77g~tJt7i divides the charaders into fix forts, 
Lieou-y. The firji, called Sia72g hmg:, ftiape, image, 
is a true pidure ol fenfible things. Thus one fees in 
the antient charaders, trees, birds, vafes, &c. rudely 
traced out. 
" The 2d, called Tchi-che, indication of the thing, is 
made by an addition to the ftiape, or to the fymbol, 
which puts the thing that one would exprefs before- 
the eyes. For example, the charader of Jmal/ placed 
over tlaat of great, to fignify psramidal, te7-minatcd m 
a pomt. The 3d, called, Hoei-y, jimdlmi of idea, af- 
jociation, conlifts in joining two charaders, to exprefs. 
a thing which neither die one nor the other fignify 
feparately.. 
