95 



CHAP. VI. 



Division of Time ; Astronomical Ideas ; 

 Measures. 



Time is divided by the AraucanianSj as with us, 

 into years, seasons, months, days, and hours, but 

 in a very different method. Their year is solar, 

 and begins on the 22d of December, or imme- 

 diately after the southern solstice. For thii 

 reason they call this solstice Thaumaihipantu, 

 the head and tail of the year, and denominate 

 June Udanthipantu, the divider of the year, from 

 its dividing it into two equal parts. These two 

 essential points they are able to ascertain with 

 sufficient exactness by means of the solstitial 

 shadows. The year is called Tipantu, the de- 

 parture, or course of the sun, as that planet de- 

 parts, or appears to depart from the tropic ia 

 order to make its annual revolution; it is divided 

 into twelve months, of thirty days each, as was 

 that of the Egyptians and Persians. In order to 

 complete the tropical year they add five inter- 

 calary days, but in what manner they are intro- 

 duced I am not able to determine'; it is, how- 

 ever, probable they are placed in the last month, 

 which in that case will have thirty-five days. 



