ON TIIE ALPHABETS OF THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 771 
The Rejang letters are formed of upright scratches, or strokes, 
but not as in the Ratak and Korinchi also of horizontal ones. As 
examples n is a rudely formed Roman M, and y is a double u W. 
Upon the whole the Rejang alphabet is more complete than either 
the Batak or Korinchi. 
The Lampung nation, which occupies that portion of the south 
western side of Sumatra which lies opposite to Java, divided from 
it only by the Straits of Sunda, has its own peculiar alphabet, which 
consists of 10 substantive letters, the vowel a and the aspirate being 
included among them. The consonants correspond in power, ex¬ 
actly with the Javanese, the palatals *d. and -t. excepted, which the 
Lampung does not contain. 
Every consonant includes, as in the other alphabets, the inherent 
vowel a. There is a peculiar character for rendering it mute, ana¬ 
logous in power, but not in form, to that of the Javanese. The 
vowel marks are 6 in number, namely for e. i. o. u. and the dip- 
thongs ai and au. 
Although the actual number of substantive characters expressing 
distinct sounds be but 19, the number presented in the scheme of 
the alphabet is no fewer than 44. This arises from several con¬ 
sonants having more than one representative, some two, some three 
and some even four. In examining this numerous list, two of them 
will be found common to the Korinchi and Rejang, and five com¬ 
mon to the Rejang. 
The Lampung, like the Rejang, has the Hindu classification, but 
it is not so correctly followed, the vowel a and the sibilant, are 
found out of place, and thrust in among the liquids. 
The Lampung letters have a good deal of that angular, linear and 
meagre form which I have described as characterizing the other Su¬ 
matran alphabets, but certainly much less. About one third of 
them are well rounded, formed by a single effort of the pen or style, 
exhibiting some of the superior skill displayed in the formation of the 
Javanese letters, but from which, however, they are very distinct. 
Two of the languages of Sumatra, the Achin ar.d Malay, have no 
native alphabet, but are written in the Arabic character with some 
indispensable supplemental letters. This has been owing to the 
conversion of those who speak them to the Mahomedan religion, 
which had its beginning in the commencement of the 13th century. 
When we see ruder nations in possession of their peculiar alphabets, 
it is not likely that these more civilized ones should be without 
