THEORY OF THE EARTH, 199 



from the general catastrophe, also arrived about the 

 same period, when their circumstances have been 

 similar, at the same degree of civilization. Now, 

 it might be thought, from the identity of the 

 names of the Chinese astronomers in different 

 reigns (they appear, according to the Chou-king, 

 to have all been named Hi and Ho) 9 that, at 

 this remote epoch, their profession was hereditary 

 in China, as it was in India, Egypt, and Baby- 

 lon. 



The only Chinese observation of any antiquity, 

 which has nothing in itself to prove its want of 

 authenticity, is that of the shadow made by 

 Tcheou-kong about 1100 years before Christ; 

 and even it is far from being correct *. 



Hence our readers may conclude, that the in- 

 ferences drawn from the alleged perfection of as- 

 tronomical science among ancient nations, is not 

 more conclusive in favour of the excessive anti- 

 quity of those nations, than the testimonies which 

 they have adduced in reference to themselves. 



But had this astronomy been more perfect, 

 what would it prove ? Has the progress been cal- 

 culated which this science ought to make among 



* See, in the Connaissance des Temps of 1809, ? 382, 

 and in M. Delambre's Histoire de 1'Astronomie ancienne, 

 vol. i. p. 391, the extract of a memoir by P. Gaubil, on the 

 Observations of the Chinese. 



