A "LINGUA FRANCA" FOR MANKIND. [To THE EDITOR OF THE
"SPECTATOR."] Sin,—In reading your interesting article on" A _Lingua Franca for Mankind" in the Spectator of July 8th, it occurs to me that the following may interest you, as it bears on your idea of English being the lingua franca of the future. It occurred during the visit of the Prince of Wales to Bombay in 1875. I was lucky to be there on the Staff of the Governor. Of course many native chiefs were assembled, two of whom, it was remarked, were quite unable to talk to one another except in English. English, in fact, was their lingua franca. One came from Travancore, and the other was a Rajpnt from Rajpntana. It was a strange sight to see these two chiefs clad in all the grandeur of the East, and separated by the length of India, using the English language as their only means of common ication.—I am Sir, Ste., M. FAWKES, Lieut.-Col.
White Lodge, Parkstone, Dorset, July 10th.
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