s only pretension to meaning, however
absurd, to "going" and "ocean;" but there is no _am_ for "ocean" in the
original, and the "ra" which he interprets "going" and "moving," is wholly
a coinage of his own brain.

The same may be observed throughout the endless rigmarole of "moon,"
"stars," "steering," "ocean," "night," "day," "knowledge," "science," and
"O Phoenician!" that succeed one another in monotonous repetition for
the next 200 pages. Wherever there appears the least symptom of connected
meaning or applicable language, (admitting the preposterous supposition
that these tables are the records of early voyagers to Ireland,) we
invariably find that either the original is departed from, or that the
alleged equivalents belong to no known language of articulately-speaking
men.

Taking the same liberty of arbitrary division, any one of moderate
ingenuity might turn these inscriptions into a jargon just as readable in
any language of the world. Divide any sentence of any articulate language
into syllables, and apply these alleged Irish words used by Betham as
their equivalents, and you may make it an equally authentic record of a
voyage to Ireland or to the moon, or a recipe for the toothache, or any
thing else you please, with the greatest facility.

Curious reader, tell us, pray, which is the more readable jargon--this,

"God to knowledge agreeable it is quick and water lonely star indeed
the to it in day the month this in knowledge with is from the sea
very solitary being water with the water the voyage always the coast
steering being throughout moon to knowledge in water God indeed the
water to danger this the in knowledge with with altogether to night
the man from current the being water the to cause knowledge steering
water by Ocean the north."

Or this?

"Was which security day and night inform Phoenician from night
means in defence by skill throughout the means being also water means
voyage from the means as indeed the voyage in it far away people
water of the sea in gentle inward it is by wisdom day and night in it
is gentle indeed the sea by science which by night in the will be to
will be means of the star it far away Phoenician far away steering
night and day and then to whence is in the ocean night sailing
happy."

We believe most of our readers will incline to say that the one is about
as insane gibberish as the other; or if