136 The Rev. Dr. Wall on the Nature, Age, and Origin of the 



have the same name ; German terms for other meanings have been preserved in 

 the Sanscrit, and of all words those by which a people distinguish their deities are 

 least likely to be changed or forgotten. 



The close correspondence between the Indian and Greek names for the signs 

 of the Ecliptic, as well as constellations of the Zodiac, will be at once seen from 

 the significations of the Sanscrit terms, as given by Sir William Jones in the fol- 

 lowing extract from one of his essays. " They divide a great circle, as we do, 

 into three hundred and sixty degrees, called by them ansas, or portions ; of which 

 they, like us, allot thirty to each of the twelve signs in this order : 



Mesha, the Ram. Tula, the Balance. 



Vrisha, the Bull. Vrishchica, the Scorpion. 



Mifhuna, the Pair. Dhanus, the Bow. 



Carcata, the Crab. Macara, the Sea-monster. 



Sinha, the Lion. Cumhha, the Ewer. 



Canya, the Virgin. Mina, the Fish." 



Asiatic Researches, vol. ii, p. 292. 



It is absolutely Impossible that so arbitrary and fanciful an application of words 

 could have separately occurred to two different nations ; and one of those in ques- 

 tion, consequently, must have got them from the other. But the Indians had 

 them no earlier than the sixth century ; it is obvious, therefore, that they must 

 have been the borrowing party, and that they derived this set of names, as well 

 as that for the days of the week, from Greek instruction. 



The same observation applies with nearly equal force to the employment by 

 the Hindoos of the Metonic cycle. This cycle was formerly supposed to be 

 exactly equal to 235 lunations; whence it was inferred, that new and full Moons 

 occurred at precisely corresponding times of each successive series of 19 years; 

 and, consequently, that if those times were noted for any one of the cycles in 

 question, they would be ascertained for all that ensued. In reality the 235 

 lunations fall short of 19 Julian years by less than an hour and an half. This 

 cycle, therefore, is (according to a statement of Mr. Bentley's, which has been 

 already given) far more accurate than any employed by the Indians before the 

 period in the sixth century when Brahma Gupta lived; whereas the Greeks 

 made use of it for fixing beforehand the time of the celebration of their Olympic 



