DAYS. -in which according to the Hindoos the fun stays 30 ~ ~ ww w w w w w w w wi and real time varies on the whole from 30 9 Ug bun, IX. Brifcbik, Ugrub, Scorpio, فى [10] Poos, December, X. Dhun, Qous, Sagittarius, 365 artificial chronological months, adapted to the fyftematic arrangement of historical records and upon which the Moofulman Kalendars are founded, though the one I have feen here for 1210 is otherwife, and differs by 2 and 3 days from the whole of this arrangement. The ingenious Mr. Marsden, in his Effay on this fubject has explained the matter fully, and conftruЯed a› table of these correfpondences, at their annual periods up to our 2000, in doing which, if his calulations. be juft, the above ought to be right, and the 18th July 1795, with the 7th June here is put down fo in Gladwin's tables of the months for 1796, to both of which publications, I thall refer the reader, for more information than he can well expect in a work like mine; obferving only that the above calcu lations properly belong to the aftronomical months of 30 and 29 days alternately. The Moofulmans date, as we do numerically from 1 to 30, but the first is also called ghoorru a calend, and the laft fulukh or chandrat, for reasons that I need not now take time to explain. The lunar component parts of the Hindoo Months, named Puk,b, &c. have been [] This as a folar month seems in general to commence with nearly the Loth of our March, but when 29|23|3 29 23 31 5 3116 3255 33 4 34 3.3 33555 3348-3240 D. P. D. P. but is thus announced by the Ghuree,alees in Dunds or Ghurees through II. III. IV. Total. 17/7/8/30 LUNAR STATIONS NAMES. I Ufoonee 877729 2 Bhurnee 3 Kirtika 77 777728 5 Mirgifra 6 Udra 7 Poonurbus 4 3 9 Surekha 5 10 Mugha 5 2612 2720 766 3 this alfo varies from -but is thus &c. 67 26 I I 4 4 3 II 2 27/1 2.6 2610 2545 266 26 50 27/37 | 11 Perba phulgoonee 2 12 Ootra phalgoonee 2 13 Hutheea 8 7 7 7 29 14 Chitra 15 Siwatee 16 Bifek,ba 83017 Unoradha 18 Jeshi ha 19 Mool 88883220 Poorba khad 21 Ootra khad 988833 22. Srawuna 23 Dhunift ha 25 Poorba bhadrupuda2 26 Ootra bhadrupuda 2 988934 27 Reptee 8 Ubhijit The laft is a fractional or occafional manfion only, and form 818181832ed out of the 21ft and 22d or 3 afterifks, because, the moon's pe siodical revolution occupies 27-8 days. been fufficiently noticed already, we shall therefore confider the monhts as arranged above under their luni-folar form, and thence proceed to explain how the one is managed, when used in civil time lunifolarly, it will of courfe anticipate this date confiderably, and before the intercalary month can occur, this very Chyt may by lunar computation, encroach upon our February, and in this way it may poffibly be reconciled with Gladwin to February, with Burrow to March, and with M. Le Gentil, Abraham Roger, Bechius, and all the miffionaries as Chyt II. at fome intercalary periods to April alfo. If as is alledged, the Bungalees adhere to the folar month in their civil tranfactions and dates, it muft follow, that their months will prove much more concurrent with ours, than those of other regions of India, as their embolism cannot then be greater than our own; but on the whole, the civil and religious fyftems of the Hindoos are every where fo intimately blended with each other, as to create much apparent incongruity, and fince to fpeak in round numbers, they feem to have lunar years of 354-5 natural days, (but consisting of 360 tüths or lunar days,) vulgar years of 360, and folar fiderial of 365-6 managed, to keep pace with the other, previously noting in round numbers, as formerly promised the extremes of the real and artificial time, of which the days of the months are compofed, taking the first and laft of cach as the standard for the foregoing table of time, in which the liberal, fcholar will allow for thofe errours that may have crept into this Horary scheme of mine, as future writers, with more ability and better opportunities, may eafily correct them by confulting the Bunarus almanack. In the order of the months, I have been greatly guided by our late excellent Aftronomer Mr. Burrow, though,he seems to differ in this matter, from very re re pectable authorities, who begin the year with Byfakh, but which is not the days, the reader may well conceive, that it will require a more than ordinary knowledge of aftronomy, fully to elucidate or comprehend them, a proficiency to which the author can urge no claims whatever, and must confequently leave a great deal in this department to abler men. [2] So many high authorities agree in making this the 1ft month, as to ftagger my faith greatly refpect ing Chyt being fuch, at least among the prefent Hindoos and unless we can deduce this difference, from the intermixture of feveral eras or fome irregular movements in the planetary fyftem, by which the modern years begin with Byfakh, though Chyt was anciently the first month, I fear it will not be foon cleared up: On this head however, the reader may perufe, the late Sir William Jones's difcourfe on the Lunar years, in which month of Chyt he alfo fays the Lunifolar year of Bikurmajeet begins; confulting moreover what our prefent acute Indian aftronomer mentions on the preceffion of the equi noxes and place of the colure in the Afiatic Refearches, Vol. 11, page 266; where among other remarks he obferves in page 270. "To my apprehenfion, inftead of a revolution of the equinoxes, through all the figns in the courfe of the Platonick year which would carry the first of Vaifach (Byfak,h) through all the feafons, is clearly implied a libration of thofe points from the third degree of Pifces to the twentyfeventh of Aries." To the liberality of Mr. E. Morris, Secretary of the Afiatic Society, the Public are indebted for Mr. Davis's Hindu Ecliptic in this work; and I beg leave to add, that the former Gentleman was fo kind as to offer me the gratuitous ufe of any plate in the A. Researches, though his own private property, that I might deem ufeful or acceptable to my Subfcribers.-The ftudies, and confequent fame of Mr. Davis, fo far tranfcend the humble fphere of a grammarian, that I can neither elucidate the one, nor exalt the other, the reader will therefore here obferve, how the Aftronomer himself explains his own Diagram, and from it perhaps learn whence the ambiguity as to Chyt or Byfak,b being the first months of the year may be deduced, on comparing the fituation of our figns of the Zodiac, with those of the Hindoos, in the prefent ingenious conjunction of both systems, which, with Mr. Davis's explanation will I truft prove perfectly evident to the aftronomical reader. The lunifolar year feems for merly to have begun in Afin (Koonar) or Kartik, and Abolfuzul thinks the Sawun or vulgar year of 360 na tural days may commence with any month indifcriminately. Poos was alfo at one time the first month. [5] Srawun. [7] But in feveral provinces Afin is better known than Koonar above. [8] Kartick. [10] Põh. [11] Mah. [12] Phalgoon. The whole of thefe in their pure folar form even appear to be librated between the 9th and the 13th day of the English months oppofite them, in their commencement, whence the difficulty of fettling a priori their exact coincidence with any fixed day of thefe months. [XII] Befides the conftellations, the Hindoos have 27-8 others or lunar manfions, known by the name of Nuch,buttur, and as thefe are familiar enough to the Hindoostanee farmers, (who pretend to make many fhrewd obfervations on, and predictions from the weather of these periods) I have given a lift of the whole in the preceding page, and like the XII folar figns above, agreeably to the current orthography of Hindooftan, which varies confideraly from the Sunfkrit, as may be perceived by comparing them with the accurate list in Mr. Davis's plate. cafe, |