ITS EARLIEST STAGES. 141 



In order that 235 months, of 30 and 29 days, 

 may make up 6940 days, we must have 125 of the 

 former, which were called full months, and 110 

 of the latter, which were termed hollow. An 

 artifice was used in order to distribute 110 hollow 

 months among 6940 days. It will be found that 

 there is a hollow month for each 63 days nearly. 

 Hence if we reckon 30 days to every month, but at 

 every 63d day leap over a day in the reckoning, 

 we shall, in the 19 years, omit 110 days ; and this 

 accordingly was done. Thus the 3d day of the 

 3d month, the 6th day of the 5th month, the 9th 

 day of the 7th, must be omitted, so as to make 

 these months ' hollow.' Of the 19 years, seven 

 must consist of 13 months; and it does not appear 

 to be known according to what order these seven 

 years were selected. Some say they were the 3d, 

 6th, 8th, llth, 14th, 17th, and 19th; others, the 

 3d, 5th, 8th, llth, 13th, 16th, and 19th. 



The near coincidence of the solar and lunar 

 periods in this cycle of 19 years, was undoubtedly 

 a considerable discovery at the time when it was 

 first accomplished. It is not easy to trace the way 

 in which such a discovery was made at that time ; 

 for we do not even know the manner in which 

 men then recorded the agreement or difference 

 between the calendar day and the celestial pheno- 

 menon which ought to correspond to it. It is 

 most probable, that the length of the month was 

 obtained with some exactness, by the observation 



