“It has lightened—on the Danube!”
It is of too much importance to me to have my dear Turanian’s thoughts
according to his own best way and form, for me not to be ready to wait
till the end of November. The entire work, in seven volumes, must come out
together, and I can keep back till then the first part of the
“Philosophy,” which is entirely printed in slips up to your chapter, and
go on with the second. Just look once at that book by the Scotch
missionary, “The Karens, or Memoir of Ko-tha-bya,” by Kincaid, on the
Karens in Pegu. He maintains the unity of the Karens and Kakhyans, another
form of the same, and of all the scattered branches of the same race,
starting from Thibet (five millions altogether) as the remnant of a once
very powerful people. To judge from the representations the race must be
_very handsome_. Frau von Helfer told me the same, and she knows them.
There are extracts given in the “Church Missionary Intelligence,” October,
1853. Prichard says little about it, and has no specimens of the language.
I have not got Latham at hand. Haruspex is printing; it waits for the
conclusion. I have received Thomson’s “Bampton Lectures.” Where does
_rife_ come from—Anglo-Saxon _ryfe_? It means prevalent, abundant.
[49.]
_Friday Morning, October 28, 1853._
Here is the printer’s excuse. It is useless to think of printing at
Oxford. You had better now keep the tables, in case you make more
alterations, till you have quite finished your work, that nothing more may
require alteration, but what you change during your work. I will send you
Kincaid, if it is in London. Perhaps by a smile from the Muses you can get
the first part ready in November. Is the Dean back? Good-by.
[50.]