110 TIMN-RECKONING. 
inches burned in about an hour, and thus the six candles lasted 
24 hours, each being lighted in succession by an attendant. The 
system of measuring time by the burning of candles was subsequently 
used in monasteries. About the time of the eleventh century clocks 
moved by weights and wheels were first introduced. The pendulum 
clock was invented in the 17th century. 
The Babylonians, Persians, Indians, Syrians, Greeks and other 
ancient nations, began their day at sunrise, and had divisions cor- 
responding to morning, forenoon, mid-day, afternoon, evening and 
night. The Jews had four divisions, viz., evening, morning, noon 
and midnight, the two first being much longer than noon and mid- 
night. The civil day of the Jews began at sunrise, their sacred day 
at sunset. The latter mode was followed by the Athenians and 
ancient Gauls. 
The ancient, like the modern, Arabians began their day at noon. 
The Chaldean astronomers divided the day into sixty parts; like 
the modern Chinese, they also had a division of the day into twelve 
hours. 
The ancient Egyptians (probably B.C. 1000) divided the day 
equally into day and night, and again sub-divided each half into 
twelve hours, numbered from 1 to 12; the night with them com- 
menced six hours before and terminated six hours after midnight ; 
the day began six hours before noon and lasted twelve hours, or 
until six hours after noon. It is probable that the Egyptians had 
different modes of computing the day in different provinces. Accord- 
ing to Pliny, they reckoned it from one midnight to another. The 
astronomers of Cathay and the East Indies reckoned it in the same 
manner. The Mohammedans from one twilight to another. 
The day is reckoned to begin in China before midnight, the first 
hour extending from 1] p.m. to lam. of our mode of reckoning. 
The Jews, Turks, Austrians and others, with some of the Italians, 
have begun their day at sunset. The Arabians begin their day at 
noon, and in this respect they resemble the astronomers and navi- 
gators of modern nations. In Japan it has been customary to adhere 
to the practice of the ancient Babylonians in beginning their day at 
sunrise. 
The above are some of the customs, gleaned from history, which have 
prevailed at various times in different countries with respect to the 
day and its sub-divisien. To these may be added the custom prac- 
tised at sea by navigators. Mariners of different nations have had 
