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Document number: 5368
Date: 06 Dec 1840
Dating: corrected to calendar
Harold White: 7 Dec 1840
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: FELLOWS Charles
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 7th March 2011

My dear Sir

I have too long neglected acknowledging your kind letter respecting my Inscription. I immediately made every enquiry respecting the coins &c suggested by you but I am sorry to say without success as the descriptions of them are too vague [.] Up to about the time of your last letter Mr D. Sharpe<1> made very rapid progress latterly he has got on slowly but every discovery confirms his precocious ideas – You are correct in directing our attention to the Zend languages which we had been gaining rich [rapid?] information from for the few weeks preceding You will find even in the modern Persian that many of their monosylobic words are Lycian. [Zorub?] &c &c &c. We have conjugated several verbs & quite understand the pronouns & the prepositions & indeed the formation of the language but we are almost wholy deficient in the meaning of the ordinary words – The money. ada & the penathei described in words confounding that term are known to us – We are now wanting information from the Sanscrit & Tartar languages but fear the pursuit will be a laborious one – I have printed my opinion that this language is not to be found out of Lycia or rather that I have never yet heard of its being so found – On seeing in Walpes[?] work that Capt Beaufort<2> had contributed an inscription in this character from Caria. I requested him to tell me the particular part, he writes me that on refering to his papers the inscription there published was copied at Ichnethis[?] in Lycia he has also other fragments from Autiphuellus[?] but none from Caria In the long inscription we find mention of the Persians, Cretans & also twice occurs the name of the great deity of the eastern nations – Any contribution of words will be "thankfully received" by

Yours obliged & very truly
Ch. Fellows

30 Russell Sqre
6 Decr 1840


Notes:

1. Daniel Sharpe (1806-1856), FRS, American born geologist and philologist, active in England.

2. Sir Francis Beaufort, R.N. (1774–1857), naval officer, surveyor/explorer,and inventor of the Beaufort wind scale.

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