168 On the Astronomy of the Orientals. 
every word of two or more syllables over which the erave accent is set (ag 
in the:present instance the last syllable of England) should be delivered in 
an elevated monotone. 
I have thought it unnecessary to introduce the circumflex. To ths cha- 
racter the slide must always bave been attached; but whether the acute, 
properly so termed, should also have claimed, at all times, this privilege, it 
is impossible to‘decide: with us it is sometimes almost impracticable ; our 
English short syllables very seldom admitting, under any circumstance, such 
graceful execution. 
These general observations on accentual properties, together with the 
examples which I have given, will sufficiently obviate the necessity of ha-~ 
rassing my reader with defail: Volumes would not suffice for the answering 
of every objection with which some modern critics and grammarians have 
perplexed themselves and others. ] 
XXV. On the Astronomy of the Orientals. By A Cor- 
RESPONDENT. 
To Mr. Tilloch. 
Sir, — Ty is much to be wished that we had more accurate in- 
formation respecting the modern astronomy of the Orientals ; 
particularly the Arabians, Persians, and the Hindoos; especially 
when it is considered how this noble science flourished among 
them in former ages, and still continues in practice, as sufficiently 
appears in their compositions on the subject, and from the col- 
lections of manuscripts imported into this and other countries of 
Europe. The superior advantages which the Oriental astronomers 
possess in regard of climate, in their ebservations of the celestial 
luminaries ; the serenity and purity of their atmosphere; the ex- 
tent of their horizon in the plains of the East, added to their own 
diligent practice, conduce, at least, to promise some profitable re- 
sults common to the interest of the science and satisfactory to the 
learned of other countries. The theories which they hold, the 
tables they construct, and the instruments they use, are all ne- 
cessary to be known before we can form a just estimate of their 
merits, and advancement in the knowledge of astronomy. 
When perusing an inquiry of this sort, I accidentally met with 
some astronomical measures of time relating to the sun and 
moon, according to the calculations of the Hindoo astronomers, 
and by which the Bramins, Moguls, and other Mohammedans 
in India chiefly go, in the reckoning of time, as noticed by Mr. 
Fraser in his History of Nadir Shah, p. 2 of his book, which I 
found on examination so justly to conform to the measures in 
our more popular treatises of Astronomy, that I cannot byt 
transmit the remarks, for the consideration of your astronomical 
readers, and here subjoin them: 
The 
