99 



of the stars, and others similar, which prove 

 that their knowledge in this respect, is much 

 greater than what is generally supposed. But 

 my researclies into their customs, owing to the 

 reasons which 1 have already assigned, were by 

 no means so complete as I could have wished 

 before I left the country. 



Their long measures are the palm, nela, the 

 span, duchCy the foot, namuiij the pace, tJiecan, 

 the ell, nevcUy and the league, tupu, which an- 

 swers to the marine league, or the parasang of 

 the Persians. Their greater distances are com- 

 puted by mornings, corresponding to the day's 

 journey of Europe. Their liquid and dry mea- 

 sures are less numerous : the guampar, a quart, 

 the carij a pint, and the mencu, a measure of a 

 less quantity, serve for the first. The dry mea- 

 sures are the chiaigue, which contains about 

 six pints, and the gliepu, which is double that 

 quantity. 



With regard to the speculative sciences they 

 have very little information. Their geometrical 

 notions are, as might be expected from an uncul- 

 tivated people, very rude and confined. They 

 have not even proper words to ;denote the prin- 

 cipal jfigures, as the point, the line, the angle, 

 the triangle, the square, the circle, the sphere., 

 the cube, the cone, &c. Their language, how* 

 ever, as we shall show hereafter, is flexible and 



n 



9 



