JSTRONOMT of the BRAHMINS. 145 



modern kalendars *. The moon's apogee is fuppofed to have 

 been in the beginning of the moveable zodiac, 621 days after 

 the epoch of the aifl of March 638, and to make an entire re- 

 volution in the heavens in the fpace of 3232 days ■\. The fird 

 of thefe fuppofitions agrees with Mayer's tables to lefs than a 

 degree, and the fecond differs from them only by 1 1*, 14, 31" ; 

 and if it be confidered that the apogee is an ideal point in the 

 heavens, which even the eyes of an aflronomer cannot diredtly 

 perceive, to have difcovered its true motion, fb nearly, argues 

 no fmall correflnefs of obfervation. 



13. From the place of the apogee, thus found, tke inequali- 

 ties of the moon's motion, which are to reduce her mean to 

 her true place, are next to be determined. Now, at the oppofi- 

 tions and conjundlions, the two greateft of the moon's inequa- 

 lities, the equation of the centre and the eveflion, both depend 

 on the diftance from the apogee, and therefore appear but as 

 one inequality. They alfo, partly, deftroy one another ; fo 

 that the moon is retarded or accelerated, only by their differ- 

 ence, which, when greateft, is, according to Mayer's tables, 

 4°, 57', 42". The Siamefe rules, which calculate only for 

 oppofitions and conjun(5lions, give, accordingly, but one ine- 

 quality to the moon, and make It, when greateft, 4°, 56', not 

 2' lefs than the preceding. This greateft equation is applied, 

 when the moon's mean diftance from the apogee is 90° j 

 in other fituations, the equation is lefs, in proportion as the 

 fine of that diftance diminifhes J. 



14. The Siamefe MS. breaks off here, and does not inform 

 us how the aftronomers of that country proceed, in the remain- 

 ing parts of their calculation, which they feem to have under- 



VoL. II. / taken, 



* The Indian period h more exaft than that of our golden number, by ^^'. Aft. Ind. 

 p. 5. The Indians regulate their feftivals by this period. Ibid. Difc. Prelim, p. viii. 



t Aft. Ind. p. II. & 20. 



X Aft. Indienne, p. 13. Cassini Mem. Acad. torn. 8. p. 304. 



