CALENDAR AND YEAR-CYCLE. 65 



day and a night ; he has no idea of dividing them 

 into hours. Their almanac is the same as the 

 Chinese, and is printed at Peking in Mongol cha- 

 racters. The months are all lunar, some containing 

 twenty-nine, others thirty days. Hence there is a 

 week over every year to complete the revolution of 

 the earth in its solar orbit. Every fourth year the 

 extra weeks make a month, which is added to the 

 winter, summer, or one of the other seasons, accord- 

 ing to the calculations of the Peking astronomers.^ 

 This month has no special name, but is called after 

 one of the others, so that in Leap-year there are two 

 Januaries or two Julys, &c. The new year com- 

 mences on the first day of the white month, Tsagan 

 Sar, corresponding with the middle of February ; 

 which marks the beginning of spring, and is kept as 

 a great holiday in all Buddhist countries. The ist, 

 8th, and 1 5th days of every month are also festivals, 

 and are also called Tserting? 



Their cycle is twelve years, each year having the 

 name of some animal, thus : — 



Tlie 1st year Kuhigima (mouse). Tlie 7th year Mori (horse). 

 „ 2nd „ Ukyr (cow). „ 8th „ Hofii (sheep). 



„ 3rd „ Bar (tiger). „ 9th „ Meehit (monkey). 



„ 4th ,, Tolai (hare). „ loth „ Takia (fowl). 



„ 5th „ Z?c (dragon). „ nth ,, AW^i?/ (dog). 



„ 6th „ Л/<?о-^ (serpent). „ 12th „ Hakhai {^\^. 



Five of these cycles make a larger one, answering to 



' See Supplementary Note. 



"^ On the New Year's Day, or White Feast of the Mongols, see 

 ' Marco Polo,' 2nd. ed. i. p. 376-378, and ii. p. 543. The monthly festival 

 days, properly for the Lamas days oi fasting and worship, seem to 

 differ locally. See note in same work, i. p. 224, and on the Year-cycle, 

 i. p. 435-— Y. 



VOL. L F 



