l a n g u a g e s : 369
population) -Onex*** and to the islands mu the
$6iith.Sea ©n-thê-otHèr-';:ibut in dhetaproportion that we find any of these
tribes more^gM^advahced in the arts:io£ civilizedhlife' than othe®s> .in
nearly -the *aihe^ik>pmtiom do: we find the Jmgs&gh'enrfcbëd-byA eorre*
Spending- accession of, gatfstóUérrns, directing «ra,, a t once,'to the so'urce
W-heilce cMMkftiOn sflöw'étU -towards > these '-regions: At what period, »how^
ever}” tbë light 'fitst broke in upon them, or at what!perio'd.the intercourse
firsttöök'plaée bet^e^kienlightónedlinÖbitaüts.of.Westem' Asia andihe
islanders‘of this-extensive Archipelagoes* ^question, Which,, perhaps, may
be mor® pfoperly*discUsséd5 whtei> treating; of the antiquities andnhupr-yftf
theumuntry, and a t t e s t is invdlved. in so much obscurity and fable, that
touch ftiui& be -lefttö tèönjneturei d '-u ; - a : trs ’
The’dettërs of the Javan'alphabet, as well asithe ortHogcaphic^sigps, arè
'decidedly-oniithe 'prifidplê^ofi^he Devandgati; -but .it is xemarkable, that
the letters-o^é^lphabétdt) notfoUowtheisame. order; notwifhstandiug.tiiat
order is-preserved in;alluthfe. alphabets-efSa-matra as welfas *r#iat of^elebes.
This deviation has been cbfi®dpfjed presumptive of the alphabet having been
introduced-info the island ^anterior to- the period when this-order might! have
been established Devandgarmtee)$i or before- thfe r«fi_oeme#t, supposed
to have-'beeri effehtedin that alphabet: hy;the Bramiris; ï but ^ d e v i a tion’may,
..perhaps, .be sufficièntly.-accountedVfor, , by :lbei circumstance1. of a
■meaning being attached ..to the words formed:by .,tbe. order,of the. Javan
alphabet asSie letters are. at present- arranged;, thusl: M w - chavdka ddta
smSapMuja&dnia mdga batdnga> means,.-.,t e e mere-two,messengers
« disputing'- with .-each other,, equally! courageous,;-'till they, .both-died. ,
That this is-not accidental may be .inferred*, not only-front the common
-laws' Of chance,!but from the probability ^ spcii .an arrangement .-being preferred.
both on aceount of its-, convenience,. and in conformity, with the
spirit which in the Chdndra Smgkdia.seeksto-select-such expression? for the
particular numerals that are required, -as-may make a,sentehce» - - 'il!
-- ’-Near the ruins of Brambanan and Singa-sdri,. are still found inscriptions
in the pure Devandgari character.of ai very .ancient form. .A specimen qf
these, together with one-of the square Kdwi± is exhibited in the accompanying
plate, corresponding in size -with the original. Annexed to each.letter
in the Beoccnagari character found on- Java, is the modern character, aIl
•in the same manner the modern Javan letters are placed: ümdér. the Kawi/,
3 B and>
• .* See Historical Chapter, for-an account of th e introduction of the alphabet by Ajt Saha.
Sanscrit.