“In the course of researches which I have had occasion to pursue on the subject of language, I have observed that Ludolfus, in his history of Ethiopia, makes mention incidentally of the Cingari, vel _Errones Nubiani_, and gives a specimen of words which he had collected from these people on his travels, with a view of determining their origin. He discusses the opinions of various writers concerning them; but forms no precise sentiment of his own, concluding his observations with these words: “Eadem vocabula, cum maximam partem reperiam apud Vulcanium à centum fere annis traditam, non fictitia existimo, ut Megiferus putat nec corrupta ex aliis linguis, neque Egyptiaca, sive Coptica.”—In English, thus: “Since I find according to Vulcanius, that most of these words have been continued traditionally for a period of nearly 100 years, I do not consider them fictitious, as Megiferus supposes, nor corrupted from other languages, either the Egyptian or Coptic.” “I was surprised to find many of the words familiar to my eye; and I pointed out to Sir Joseph Banks, in the latter end of the year 1783, their evident correspondence with terms in the Hindostanie, or as it is vulgarly termed in India, the Moors’ language. “This similitude appeared to me so extraordinary, that I was inclined to suspect an error in the publication, which might have arisen from a confusion of obscure vocabularies in the author’s possession. The circumstance, however, determined me to pay farther attention to the subject, and to examine, in the first place, whether the language spoken by the Gypsey tribes in England, and by those in the remoter parts of the continent of Europe was one, and the same; and then to ascertain, whether this actually bore the affinity which so forcibly struck me in Ludolfus, to any of the languages on the Continent of India. “Through the obliging assistance of Sir Joseph Banks, who has spared no pains to promote this investigation, I procured an opportunity of obtaining a list of words from our Gypsies, which I can depend upon as genuine, and tolerably accurate in respect to the pronunciation, from their being corroborated also by words taken down, separately, by Sir Joseph, and by Dr. Blagden. “Mr. Matra did me the favour to transmit for me, a list of words to Turkey; and from his ingenious friend B. Pisani, I received a complete and satisfactory translation of them, together with some information, respecting the manners of the Chingiares, in the Turkish dominions, which, however, does not come within the design of this paper, as I mean to confine myself in the present communication, simply to the question of similarity of language; which, if established, I should esteem a matter of no little curiosity; presuming it to be perfectly new to the world.