110 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
Mogialoua, et des deux dialects principaux Abunda 
(Angolan) et Congo ” (Fiote) ; it is also very incorrect. 
The best is that published in Appendix No. 1 to the 
Congo Expedition, under the name of “ Embomma ; ” 
we may quote the author’s final remark : “ This voca- 
bulary I do not consider to be free from mistakes which 
I cannot now find time to discover. All the objects of 
the senses are, however, correct.” M. Parrot showed- me 
a MS. left at Banana Point by a French medical officer, 
but little could be said in its praise. Monteiro and 
Gamitto (pp. 479-480) give seventeen “ Conguez ” words, 
and the Congo numerals as opposed to the “ Bundo.” 
The Fiote is a member of the great South African 
family ; some missionaries argued, from its beauty and 
richness, that it had formerly been written, but of this 
there is no proof. M. Malte-Brun supposes the Congoese 
dialects to indicate “ a meditative genius foreign to the 
habitual condition of these people,” ignoring the fact 
that the most complicated and laborious tongues are 
those of barbarous nations, whilst modern civilization 
invariably labours to simplify. It is copious ; every 
place, tree, shrub, or plant used by the people has its 
proper name ; it is harmonious and pleasing, abounding 
in vowels and liquids, destitute of gutturals, and sparing 
in aspirates and other harsh consonants. At the same 
time, like the rest of the family, it is clumsy and un- 
wieldy, whilst immense prolixity and frequent repetition 
must develope the finer shades of meaning. Its peculi- 
arity is a greater resemblance to the Zanzibarian Kisa- 
wahili than any tongue known to me on the Western 
Coast : often a question asked by the guide, as “ Njia 
hapa ? ” (Is this the road ?) and “ Jina lako mini ? ” 
(What’s your name ?) was perfectly intelligible to me. 
The latter is a fair specimen of the peculiar euphony 
which I have noticed in “Zanzibar” (vol. i. chap. x.j. 
We should expect “ Jina jako,” whereas this would offend 
the native ear. It requires a scholar-like knowledge of 
the tongue to apply the curious process correctly, and 
the self-sufficient critic should beware how he attempts 
to correct quotations from the native languages. 
