to accord with that of the dominant syntactical alliteration.

great families of human speech, only ntinent. It is too vast and varied to n of communities and the consequent en carried in America to an extreme. ess of material, hard to explain and hes of a tribe which have been sepwhich are mutually unintelligible, elationship. But it is believed that all the infinite variety of American Horn; whatever their differences of which their forms are developed and incorporative, or polysynthetic. It he sentence into one great word; to for the phrase with its separated and

has yet been adduced going to show guage, nor has the time yet come for make a bare and immediate compariontinents is altogether futile. When e families is fully worked out, from le material in each, if we shall find le the question of Asiatic derivation, hat we have to do at present is simbout the aboriginal languages of this re peculiarly concerned in the work, ropean scholars accuse us of indifferInstitution has recently taken up the ith laudable zeal, and all Americans y every means in their power.

g

sought and finally found, for the natu work out the same problem-the actual and they cannot disregard each other's re nly be the result of the greatly adva sions of both. Nothing more can be eral considerations bearing upon the su In the first place, language is no certain the first lecture, language is not inh eachers of other blood than the learner. xture of race. The Latin part of our v manic descent, who learned it from C red mass of Italians. These defects borne in mind by those who are drawin their effect must not be exaggerated al evidence has quite as important defec which external circumstances can termined. Many eminent naturalist ting differences among men may be the hypothesis of different origins is at change its language, and not its pl Language may retain traces of mi age may more readily and surely tha sitional types. In many respects ling actical value; differences of language a ribed, and recorded. Individual differ physical character, disappear in lang Pote times is much more accessible and ween the two, or question as to relativ

t review of the great families of huor two isolated languages or groups, oteworthy is the Basque, spoken on representatives of the ancient Iberiace earlier than the irruptions of the ther is the Etruscan, of Italy, saved lved and probably insoluble problem an mountains, again, appears a little rts of scholars to connect them with mily has, as may be seen even from acteristics, which distinguish it from ations of them as into monosyllabic ve, and inflectional, or the like, little must be founded on a consideration

Both are equally legitimate and
tion of the same difficult and, in its d
nd history. Each has its notable limita
the other and from recorded history
dnsions. But the part which langua
logical history of the race must be
d outlines, in settling ultimate questi
perior; but the filling up of details,
on into a history, must be mainly ac
Another important question is, what
ing the unity of the human race?
dently answered, but the answer mu
Ce can never hope to give any autho

that it can never pretend to prove t
ry easy. It regards language as some
Beanty rudiments. It cannot assume
By other agency than that which ma
how long a time may have been occu
the monosyllabic stage may have la

88

comparative

A reconciliation of their seeming discordance must -, for the naturalist and linguist are both trying to -the actual genealogical history of human races— each other's results. Their harmonious agreement e greatly advanced and perfected methods and conmore can be attempted here than to note certain ing upon the subject.

ge is no certain evidence of descent. As was shown age is not inherited, but learned, and often from n the learner. Nor does mixture of language prove in part of our vocabulary was brought us by men of rned it from Celts and Germans, and they from a These defects of linguistic evidence have always to who are drawing conclusions in linguistic ethnology. e exaggerated; nor must it be overlooked that physimportant defects. The kind and amount of modificumstances can introduce into a race-type is as yet inent naturalists are not unwilling to allow that all men may be the effect of processes of variation, and that t origins is at least unnecessary. Hence, as a race , and not its physical type, it may also do the conain traces of mixture undiscoverable otherwise. Lanand surely than physiology distinguish mixed from any respects linguistic evidence has a greatly superior es of language are much the more easily apprehended, Individual differences, often obscuring race-differences isappear in language. Testimony coming down from re accessible and authenticable in language. Discord tion as to relative rank, there is none, or ought to be legitimate and necessary modes of approaching the cult and, in its details, insoluble problem, man's origin its notable limitations, and needs all the aid it can get recorded history to supply its defects and control its art which language has to perform in constructing the he race must be much the greater. In laying down g ultimate questions, the authority of physiology may ng up of details, and the conversion of a barren classiust be mainly accomplished by linguistic science. uestion is, what has the study of language to say ree human race? This question can already be pretty ut the answer must be a negative one only. Linguistic to give any authoritative decision upon the subject. To pretend to prove the ultimate variety of human races is language as something which has grown by degrees out It cannot assume that these rudiments were produced an that which made their after combinations. It cannot ay have been occupied in the formation of roots, or how stage may have lasted; and it must confess it altogether

I show that such is not the case. But ready gone far enough to leave no

overy.

the constituent parts of language in ing not only utter difference between 30 apparent correspondence between There are no two languages on the search may not bring to light resemhistorical study to be no signs of relaNow, the more remote the time of sepaumerous will be their differences, the he more ambiguous will be the indicaoint is reached where it is impossible hich we discover are genuine, or only in the comparison of languages, that e to hold together the forms of speech e fails us. It is no longer of force to families are composed of such lanther out of the radical stage. If there 1 their roots alone; and to give the on it as hopeless. To trace out the and primitive signification, is a task help of the great variety and ane Sanscrit, the task can be somewhat -European tongue; but the Semitic perplexingly developed form. Radihes of the Scythian family are hardly of those branches; and to hope that, n, and American dialects, linguistic cognition of their primitive germs, is nces are, if anything, more likely to apeloped speech. Authorities are much do-European and Semitic families are erance of the best and safest opinions - be hoped that their connexion will nce coming from outside of language, o the connexion of either of these with ■ter-connexion of all the families.

peing force to the production
sary impulse to expression on t
yeften maintained; it is the desir
ger form a language. Two childre
ng some means of exchange of
saght language; nor is there a myste
e two, so that we cannot conceive of
her. But thought would be awkw
king apparatus afforded it in langu
rment, would be, as it were, lamed
gnitions, reasonings, deductions, ima

of language. We may claim that y what has already been proved as to tter everywhere and always a comtus, we might be tempted to despair of e simple hypothesis of a miraculous th of the noblest tongues comes by We have only to satisfy ourselves how

and dumb, even when untaught a
led, even to the lower animals, in gre
raght is anterior to language and in
ion in order to be thought. The i
its command of speech, though
h to man, comes incidentally, grow
mast and will have with his fellow.
the sign of thought, arbitrarily selec
the fashion to cry down the use of
rage; but, rightly understood, it pre
the holding of a convention and for
on into use, on the part of a commu
al; and in no other way, as has b
age originate; nor did it, back to the
et used in its peculiar sense by som
t of others.

t, of the scanty and humble germs of e is no reason for supposing them

These considerations relieve the remainin
ty. Under the outward impulse to
y toward expression: it will have ex
te speech, it would have sought and
looks, written signs, any or all of these
provided means of supplying this great
is found unprovided with articulate s
should have discovered what the voice v
proper use. Several theories have been
the onomatopoetic, supposes that the fir
rated by imitation of the cries of animals

the interjectional, regards the natura
of excited feeling, our exclamations, as t
es man's utterance with the ringing of
ds that man has an instinctive facul
al conceptions of his mind. The last of
value, as grounded in unsound theory, an
erence or observation. The other two are so
exclamations and imitated sounds helped
voices that which was capable of being app
ir spirits. But the study of language br

deir

t we make clear to ourselves what is the directly uction of language. It is not any internal and sion on the part of thought itself, although this is the desire of communication. One man alone would vo children could not grow up together without acange of thought. Language is not thought, nor re a mysterious and indissoluble connexion between conceive of the existence of the one apart from the 1 be awkward, feeble, and indistinct, without the it in language. The mind, deprived of such an invere, lamed and palsied. The possession of ideas, actions, imaginings, hopes, cannot be denied to the untaught any substitute for spoken language; nor, imals, in greatly inferior and greatly varying degree. quage and independent of it. It does not require exight. The incalculable advantage which it derives ech, though a necessary implication in the gift of Hentally, growing out of that communication which ith his fellow. A word, then, is not a thought; it bitrarily selected and conventionally agreed upon. wn the use of the word conventional as applied to derstood, it precisely expresses the fact. It does not vention and formal discussion, but the acceptance and part of a community, of something proposed by an inr way, as has been shown above, does anything in d it, back to the very beginning. Every root-syllable iar sense by some one, and became language by the

lieve the remaining part of our problem of much of its ward impulse to communication, thought tends irren: it will have expression, and, were it destitute of 1 have sought and found other means-gestures, atti3, any or all of these. But the voice was the appointed upplying this great want, and no race of men, accorded with articulate speech. It remains to inquire how red what the voice was meant for, and have applied it al theories have been proposed in explanation of this. supposes that the first names of objects and acts were f the cries of animals and the noises of dead nature; l, regards the natural sounds which we utter when in our exclamations, as the beginnings of speech; another e with the ringing of natural substances when struck, is an instinctive faculty for giving expression to the his mind. The last of these is believed to be destitute d in unsound theory, and supported by nothing in our n. The other two are so far true that it must be granted mitated sounds helped men to realize that they had in was capable of being applied to express the movements he study of language brings to light no interjectional

ERPETUAL SECRETARY OF THE FREN

gy, we do catch occasional glimpses, tle and evanescent to be believed in suspecting their wide occurrence. ertainty, resting upon the earliest peardly any; the process is not beyond knowledge.

- has proved himself capable of origireason, that man's endowments are races, is the best that can be given. precisely wherein lies man's supexplained his exclusive possession of say in what mode of action lay that which, more than any other, put lanto maintain that it was the power of sness; of analyzing impressions, and ternal sense as to perceive that each ls come so near to a capacity for lanirected by it, when addressed to them nalogy with that of very young chil guage is developed much earlier and ving it. It may well be questioned the distance from the unimpressible is not vastly greater than that from

,

races of men.

TRANSLATED FOR THE SMITHSONIAN INS

To this Academy no species of scientific Perouse, d'Entrecasteaux, Baudin, Du the stage of the world without having e an inauspicious destiny arrested th Sady marked. To have obtained it woul sness of duty fulfilled, the highest the privilege of crowning their memora been a subject of the most just self-co rah has snatched away their authors, has til grateful to you to extol them, and thinking that I could prefer no better by attempting to retrace, on this occasio to obtain and to justify all your sympa all those of the heroes of hydrography w better fortunes and not less daring, the c Chris-François Beautemps-Beaupré was Put a village situated one league north Champagne which now forms the departme pretending tiller of the soil, and the you ltivate, in his turn, the rather prosaic fiel irst years in youthful sports on the plea Anne, agreeably diversify the banks lly robust, and strengthened by country a severe shock. While heedlessly playin he fell with violence, and sustained such ying necessary. The operation was n ng sufferer became, with advancing y

3

and

expressive mien, and retained, for n
dfaculties which won him a place in thi
to recover the name of the modest pro
vidence, our colleague was indebted for life
never knew the full value of the head h

M. Beautemps-Beaupré passed, indeed, onl village. Among his relations was an emi Bache, the head of a geographical establis ace from the family of Delisle-a family through more than a century, for its con relating to geography, astronomy, and