iv
had to be corrected. In Prémare for example, the syllables pwan, chi, jin and chii had to be altered, to pan, chï, jen and chu, in the orthography of this work. In Morrison, the syllables shen, mun, and ching, needed to be changed into shan, men and cheng. These changes, and others of the same class, will possibly be objected to by those who are accustomed to follow without questioning the sounds of these writers. But they are necessary for correctness. Prémare appears to have been influenced by the dialects west of Nanking, and Morrison by those of the southern provinces.
That such improvements as these should not have been made till the present time, is a convincing proof that a reform in our spelling of Chinese sounds is much wanted.
In adopting Sir William Jones’ mode of spelling, as proposed in the Chinese Repository, some modifications have been introduced to obviate the frequent use of accents.
In preparing the present work, while I have been far from indifferent to the advancement of scientific philology, in application to the Chinese language, my highest wish is that it may be useful in opening the treasures of the language to Christian Missionaries. With the hope that it may in some humble degree, aid in conveying religious truth to the Chinese nation, I commit it to the blessing of God.
