4 1801, ])) 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the Monthly Magazine of laft month, 
Mr. Dyer has endeavoured to contro- 
vert. the opinion of Mr. Carey (given in a 
former Number), relative to the incorpo- 
ration of the article and the prepofition 
with the fubftantive in the Greek lan- 
guage. From any thing hitherto advan- 
ced, I cannot, however, but diffent from 
Mr. Dyer.on this fubj-&, and think the 
cenclufion, drawn by Mr. Carey from the 
verfes quoted out of the Anthologia, per- 
fectly right in this particular. Becaufe, 
as every word hasan acute accent pertain- 
ing to fome of its vowels or fyllables*, it 
neceflarily. follows, that thofe words in the 
Greek language which are not accented, 
or are termed enclitics, muft be confidered 
only as paris of fome other word that 
precedes or follows them: e. g. olxdvde, 
ity. | 
Nor is this a peculiarity exclufively be- 
longing to the Greek tongue. The Ro- 
man grammarian, in treating upon this 
fubjeét, fays, ‘* Cum dico circum littora, 
tanquam unum enuncio, diffimulata dif- 
tinctione: itaque tanquam in una voce, 
una eft acuta: quod idem accidit in illo, 
Troje qui primus ab oris.”’ Quinétil. lib. 1. 
cap. 5. Itis therefore fufficiently evident, 
that.in pronouncing thefe paflages, the cir- 
cum, qui, and ab are not to be confidered 
as fingle and independent words, but as 
parts only of thofe with which they are 
naturally combined. 
This clofe appofition of words in pro- 
nunciation is alfo very obfervable in every 
fentence of the Englith language. If I 
fay, fénd me that book, me becomes a per- 
fect enclitic, and is pronounced in the 
fame manner as if it were in conjunction 
with fexd; thus, féxdmet. 
I can, therefore, fee no- reafon to dif- 
pute the validity of Mr. Carey’s conclu- 
fion on this head, fince it feems to form 
not only an effential part in the pronuncia- 
tion of the Greek tongue, but alfo of lan- 
guage in general. 
At the fame time alfo 
to coincide with Mr. Carey, that the po- 
fition and ufe of the Greek enclitics mutt 
neceflarily produce a deviation from the 
general method of accentuation, and ren- 
der thereby the pronunciation of the words 
totally different, yet I cannot fuppofe this 
will, in the flighteft degree, militate againit 
the accentual mode of reading. For as 
the nature and power of enclitics are near- 
po dt NS ae Ne a a Se ORR OE 
* Quin@til. Inft. Orat. lib. 1. cap. 5, 
T Fofter on Accent, p. 329, 
_ MONTHLY Maa, No. 70. 
Mr. Rebinjon on: Accentuation—Alamagan. 
that Iam ready 
113 
ly the fame in all languages, they cannot 
oppofe the pronunciation of the. Greek 
tongue by accents, unlefs they alfo oppofe 
that of others. On the contrary, it is evi- 
dent from the very ule of enclitics, that, 
except accentuation in reading be careful- 
ly obferved, the fenfe and meaning of an 
author muft become unintelligible. ; 
Ravenflonedale, Joun RoBInson. 
Fan. 12, 1801. 
ree i 
For the Menthly Magazine. 
Account of the IsLAND ALAMAGAN, oné 
of the NORTHERN MAREANNES., 
N the middle of 1799, I paffed twenty- 
| _ four hours upon Alamagan, one of the 
Ladrone er Marianne Iflands, and have 
fince read M. de la Percule’s uninviting 
defcription of its, barren neighbour Af- 
fumption. : 
Ships in want of refrefhments from the 
fhore are fometimes paifling thefe iftands 
on their way to China, but are perhaps 
unwilling to run down to leeward fo far as 
Tinian, to obtain them ; fuch fhips might 
find the produétions of Alamagan worth 
twelve hours detention. If the remarks I 
collected together during my ~fhort flay 
there fhould be thought likely to point out 
a means of diminifhing the inconveniences 
of any future navigation in thofe parts, 
you are at liberty to publifh them in the 
Monthly Magazine. I am 
G. Bass. 
On the 27th of July, when the haze of 
the morning cleared away, we faw the 
ifland of Alamagan right a-head, bearing 
welt -by north, diftant feven or eight 
leagues. The trade blew frefh at north- 
eaft. : 
The fky was every where clear and 
bright, except that a lofty range of whitifh 
clouds, packed into vaft bodies, occupying 
one-fifth of the horizon, extended itfelf 
from over the ifland away to leeward of it 
as far as the eye could reach. Our fur- 
prife to find, upon approaching within 
three leagues of it, that this mafs of clouds 
was nothing more than fmoke iffuing from 
a volcano, became moderated by a pre- 
vious knowledge of the volcanic nature of 
the Marianne Iflands. HEN 
‘Our water was nearly expended, and 
we had yet arun of feveral days to China; 
it was determined, therefore, to attempt a 
landing, and try if Alamagan would afford 
us a frefh fupply. 
In rounding the north end of the ifland, 
we patied the volcano. It ftands clofe to 
the fea; a brown cone, in height perhaps 
Q. five 
