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South Africa, viz. Zulu and Soto. I am in correspondence with a number of Missionaries and other people residing in Africa who have the Institute’s advice with regard to the introduction of the phonetic script. The script is taught at and recommended by the School of Oriental Studies in London. | If we are to adopt the phonetic script here it would mean that in most of our language groups we shall have to introduce two or three new letters. As far as I see we have three possibilities before us: (1) we adopt the Lepsius system ; (2) we adopt the phonetic system ; (3) we make a compromise by taking some letters of the Lepsius system and some of the phonetic script, choosing in each case the | letter which seems to be the most suitable.

I recommend that we should not discuss the question of the two systems as a whole because we should in that case have to deal with a large number of letter forms which do not affect us at all because they do not occur in our languages. I would prefer that we should discuss each letter as it comes under our consideration.

A common script is necessarily a compromise : it can only be brought about by a willingness to make concessions. It may in some cases mean a real sacrifice, but I believe it would not be right if, in discussing our problems, we were always to have in our minds the sacrifices or

inconveniences which a proposed alteration may mean to us. We should approach the problems by simply asking ourselves: “ Does this particular letter appear to be good and practical for the African or not ?”

One point I would like to emphasize: we should seriously aim at coming to conclusions which promise to be permanent. There may be cases in which the sound system of a language has not yet

been studied exhaustively and where on future investigation close distinctions of sounds may prove to be necessary. These will be exceptions, and on the whole I believe it to be quite possible to attain permanent results and it is simply necessary.

Before we proceed to deal in smaller circles with the orthography of each language, it seems necessary that we should come to an agree-

ment on some general principles and on the letters for those sounds which occur in more than one language group.

Professor Westermann then took the main features of the ortho- sraphy submitted.

A number of uncontroversial proposals were agreed to by the Conference without discussion. ; On other points there was a discussion.

Long Vowels and Consonants.

PROFESSOR WESTERMANN: The principle is to indicate these by writing the letter twice. Long consonants occur, e.g. in the Bari word awaddu or the Italian anno. The distinction between short and long vowels does not need to be expressed in most languages,

but cases do occur as in West African kaa. The conventional way of