128 
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF 
dung as signs for the long a, precisely following the tradition 
where they must stand according to the Sanscrit. 
The priests are also in possession of a work on the eupho¬ 
nic laws, called Sroyanchana . 
fn earlier accounts it has been noticed that in Ball no in¬ 
scriptions on stone or metal are met with, nor any older cha¬ 
racters than the present current writing. This is naturally 
explained from the letters only having been introduced since 
the fall of Majapahit or a very little before. Although we 
met with no modes of writing of a more ancient date, yet in 
the new writings all the richness is preserved which ever was 
possessed by the Sanskrit writings in Java. Tt is only in the 
Balinese manuscripts that we find preserved with the greatest 
purity the numerous signs of the Sanskrit, which were super¬ 
fluous and unpronouncable in the Polynesian idiom. Those 
who are anxious to have more particular proofs of it, are 
referred to^the lithograph of the Wretta-Sanchaya at the con¬ 
clusion of this account. Whatever doubt may be entertained 
of the proper powers of the Sanskrit letters, as they have 
been received in Java and Bali, will be removed by the ex¬ 
amination of the writing of that manuscript, and principally 
of the numerous Sanscrit words occurring in it; any possible 
faults will be corrected and excused by those who are conver¬ 
sant with the subject, if they consider the many transcriptions 
of such manuscripts which are made on Balt, and how easily 
some corruptions and inaccuracies might find their way into 
it amongst a small nation, shut out from the source of their 
civilization, and for 400 years dependent on themselves. 
01 the Metra , used in the Balinese works, we shall speak 
hereafter when explaining the lithographed manuscript. In 
that manuscript are placed only the Kawi-Metra taken from 
the Sanskrit. To these are added the more recent, or 
perhaps more properly styled, Polynesian Metra (Kidung) 
which are used in pieces of less value, and mentioned by 
Raffles under the title “Poetry” These however stand in 
little estimation on Bali; whereas all that is written in Kawi 
measures is considered sacred, and as a guidance for the peo¬ 
ple. The Kidun g-measures properly serve only for the re¬ 
creation of the people. 
SACRED WRITINGS NEWLY DISCOVERED. 
The first rank in the Balinese literature, as in that of the 
Hindus, is occupied by the Vedas. According to the communi¬ 
cations of the priests, they are not complete on Bali, but only 
fragments, however, to judge from appearance, tolerably large 
ones, of all the Indian Yedas, viz., 3, of the Reg Veda ; 2, 
