30 Letters of Sir Witr1am Jones to Samvrr Darts, Esq. 
I have taken the liberty, Sir, to send under your address, by the ship Prin- 
cess Amelia, a copy of M. Baillie’s Indian Astronomy, which I hope you will 
do me honor to accept, as a testimony of my regard. You will find, Sir, the 
subject of his Book so similar to that of your present pursuit, that I have 
little doubt you will be able to correct many errors in it; and I hope, also, 
you may be able to derive some benefit from the perusal of those parts 
which are correct. 
I beg, sir, that you will believe me, with unfeigned regard & respect, 
Your obedient 
& most hble servant, 
JOS: BANKS. 
Jtemarks by Mr. Cavendish, referred to in the preceding Letter. 
I hope you will inform Mr. Davis of the pleasure his paper has given to 
those to whom it has been shewn, and encourage him to go on with it. 
Though he has given us the most material parts of their astronomy, yet 
there are many others which very well deserve to be communicated, and I 
suppose must be treated on in his author, particularly their manner of com- 
puting the apparent places of the planets. Their manner also of computing 
eclipses of the sun, and determining the longitudes and latitudes of stars at 
a distance from the ecliptic, with the time of their rising, will be well 
worth communicating, were it only for shewing the extent of their know- 
ledge in spherical trigonometry. I have added also a few queries, which I 
shall be glad if you will recommend to his consideration. 
Mr. D. says the astronomical months begin at the instant the sun is sup- 
posed to enter the respective constellations of the Zodiac; but the civil 
month begins at sun-rise. Quere whether the sun-rise after, or the sun-rise 
in the same day? and as the same month will not always consist of the 
same number of days, Quere whether they are obliged to have recourse to 
the almanack of that year, or whether they have any constant rule for de- 
termining it? If it is determined only by their almanack, it will sometimes 
happen that one almanack will make it begin on one day of the week, and 
another on the next to it, owing to a difference in the latitude and longi- 
tude of the place, &c. Quere therefore, whether in dating any event they 
take any method to avoid this ambiguity ? 
Quere. Are there any Hindu maps of the constellations ? 
Besides the general curiosity of seeing whether their constellations agree 
