APPENDIX.
The Aboriginal Dialects of Formosa.
There appears to be no trace of the existence of a written language among the aborigines of Formosa, unless indeed we take into account the use which the semi-civilised tribes have made of Roman and Chinese written characters.
The use of the former was taught by the Dutch over two centuries ago, when they occupied the island,. Some singular specimens of Romanised Malay documents are still treasured up among the tribes, although they are quite ignorant of their value, as they are now unable to translate them. These papers are chiefly title-deeds to property, or simple business agreements between man and man.
The Chinese, since the time of the Dutch occupation, have impressed upon the Pepohoan, or * strangers of the plain ' , their own language both written and oral. It was therefore only from the oldest members of the Baksa Pepohoan tribe that I could obtain the words set down in the Vocabulary. At Baksa the native language has been superseded by the Chinese collo- quial dialect.
The Shekhoan is the great northern tribe of half-civilised aborigines. They still retain their original tongue, although the crafty Chinese invaders are making rapid inroads on their fertile valleys, and civilising them out of the lands, if not out of the language of their fathers.
