HINDOO ASTRONOMYc 281 



The Indian astronomy became first known in Europe 

 through M. de la Loubere, who ^vas sent by Louis XIV. 

 on an embassy to Siam, in the year 1687. He brought 

 thence the precepts of that people for the calculation of 

 eclipses ; but these were incomplete, for want of an example 

 to show their application ; and it required all the sagacity 

 of the celebrated astronomer Cassini to explain their mean- 

 ing. M. le Gentil, of the Academy of Sciences, brought, 

 in 1772, from the coast of Coromandel, tables and astro- 

 nomical precepts of the Indians of Trivaloor. These pre- 

 cepts are much more extensive and complete than those of 

 M. de la Loubere, and M. le Gentil has accompanied them 

 ■with examples, by which they can be easily understood 

 and put in practice. In addition to these there were found 

 in the Marine Depot of Charts and Plans at Paris two 

 manuscripts of Indian tables, which had been deposited by 

 the astronomer M. de Lisle. He had received one of them 

 in 1 750 from Father Patouillet, who had corresponded with 

 the missionaries ; and the other had been sent from Indi' 

 by Father du Champ to Father Gaubil, and communicated 

 by that missionary, in 1752, to M. de Lisle. The first of 

 these came from Masulipatan, or from Narsapour, and the 

 second had been found at Chrisnabouram, in the Carnatic 

 country. It was from these four sets of tables that Bailly 

 composed his Astronomk Indicnnc et Orientale. 



Since the tune Bailly wrote very considerable additional 

 light has been thrown on the subject of Indian astronomy 

 by some members of a society instituted in Bengal for in- 

 quiring into the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences, 

 and literature of India. Their labours have been pubhshed 

 in the Asiatic Researches. 



The astronomy of India is confined to one branch of the 

 science. It gives no theory, nor does it even describe dis- 

 tinctly the celestial phenomena. It is limited to the calcu- 

 lation of certain changes in the heavens, particularly eclipses 

 of the sun and moon, and with the rules and tables by 

 which these calculations must be performed. The Bramin, 

 seated on the ground with his shells before him, repeats the 

 enigmatical verses which are to guide his calculation, and 

 from his little tablets of palm-leaves takes out the numbers 

 that are to be employed in it. He obtains his result with 

 certainty and expedition ; but, having little knowledge of 



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