Letters of Sir Writtam Jones to Samver Davis, Esq. 31 
with ours, I have another reason for the question. At present the sun at 
the beginning of the Hindu year precedes the first star of our constella- 
tion Aries by 7° 18’, and 4000 years ago it preceded it by 16° 51’, and 
therefore it is natural to suppose that, at the time when their constellations 
were formed, the first star of the constellation Aries coincided with the 
sun’s place at the commencement of their year. It should seem that our 
Zodiacal constellations, though they bear the same names as theirs, consist 
of different stars. Perhaps if such maps are found, it might afford a means 
of giving a rough estimate of the date of their astronomy. 
A catalogue of the fixed stars, with the longitudes and latitudes, would 
in some measure answer the same purpose, but not so well. 
Quere, Have they preserved any ancient astronomical observations ; and 
if so, how ancient ? 
Quere, Is there any account of the manner in which they used to make 
their observations, and in particular in what manner they measured time, 
and whether they still continue to make observations. 
On computing the places of the heavenly bodies from the data given in 
Mr. D.’s paper, for the beginning of the Cali Yug, and for 4320 years 
after, I observed that in general they agreed much better with our tables 
at the last-mentioned time, than they did at the Cal Yug or than they do 
at present; which seems to shew either that the Sirya Siddhnta must 
have been written about that time, or that the numbers in it were then 
altered, so as to make them agree with observation. 
Quere, Whether there is any tradition of a reformation having been made 
at that time in their astronomy ? 
I think Mr. D. must have made a mistake in his computation of the pre- 
cession of the Equinoxes. Unless I am much mistaken, he ought to have 
made it 73° 21’. If so, the precession found by their rule differs from the 
truth at present by 52° 17’, and formerly was still more wrong; so that I 
imagine the text of his author must be corrupted at that place. 
*,* The accompanying Plate appears to have been intended by the late Mr. Davis to 
illustrate the Astronomical Remarks contained in the preceding Letters, and is: pub- 
lished principally on account of its representation of the Hindu Zodiae and the 
Lunar Mansions, differing considerably from those that are engraved in the second 
volume of the Asiatic Researches. 
