CHINA. 1751. . Z9 i 



come from all the flreets) what the fellow's 

 crime was. 



Almanacks, or Tongjioc of the fchinefe*} 

 were fold in thofe ilreets where fruits were ex- 

 pofed to fale. The derivation of the word 

 feems to denote, that they formerly may have 

 carved their chronologies in wood, as we on 

 our Runic flicks ; for wood in the Chinefe lan- 

 guage is called She, or Si-e. Three thoufand 

 almanacks are annually printed for each pro- 

 vince. They are either fmaller ones, or great- 

 er hiftorical ones. I bought one of the latter 

 fort for eight kandarin, about 12 flir. It was 

 for the year 1752, or the 17th year, which 

 they call Daatfing kan long fiapp fat miang, or 

 the great emperor Kang-longU 1 7 th year, count- 

 ing from the acceffion of the prefent emperor 

 to the throne ; for the Gbinefe begin a neW 

 period at the beginning of every emperor's 

 reign. This year was to begin with them the 

 fourth day of February. The 1 2 months are 

 marked with large letters at the top of every 

 page in the almanack ; each day takes up a 

 line, and in this is marked every thing which 

 may be fuccefsfully undertaken on that day ; 



k Bayer de hcris Sinicis. Petrop. 1735, 4to. 



U 2 which 



