details respecting cochin china. 
They only distinguish three tenses in the verbs: the present, the 
preterite, and the future. Thus mm, means to love; tfi men y 
signifies I love; tfi da men, l have loved, they thus form the pre¬ 
terite by adding da. They add se for the future: tfi se men I will 
•or shall love. 
The Anamite language being monosyllabic, it follows that there 
is small variety in the sound of words, and that the same word 
lias often a great number of significations. The difference of 
sense then is made evident by the difference of tone, Tims the 
word ma can have at least six different significations, according as it 
is differently pronounced; for they can pronounce it in six different 
tones which we indicate by marks. Ma pronounced in a full tone, 
recto tc/no , signifies phantom; if t he tone is descending, ma signi¬ 
fies but; if the tone is grave or heavy, ma signifies to gild; if the 
lone is lading, ma means a horse; in the interrogating tone ma 
means a tomb; in the sharp tone met signifies the cheek. >Ye can 
represent these tones by musical notes. The full lone answers ve¬ 
ry well to sol from below; the descending lone to mi from be¬ 
low; the heavy tone to ut from below; the falling tone to lai the 
interrogating tone to si natural; and the sharp tone to ut from 
above. AYc can write these tones in the two following manners. 
fire tone varies a little in the different provinces. There is 
also some difference between the pronunciation of Tong king and 
that of Cochin China, but this difference is not so essential that 
we cannot understand them well. Only some words used in the 
northern provinces are not used in those of the south and vice 
versa. 
THE STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN COCHIN CHINA. 
The Cochin Chinese are generally much addicted to religious 
practices. The Pagans have absolutely the same religion as the 
Q 
