VOL. LXXXII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 251 



the nature of an Hindoo almanac, Mr. C. gives an account of the remaining 

 parts at the end of this paper. 



In those parts of India in which this almanac is used, the civil year is lunisolar, 

 consisting of 12 lunar months, with an intercalary month inserted between them 

 occasionally. It begins at the day after the new moon next before the beginning 

 of the solar year*. The lunar month is divided into 30 parts, called teethees; 

 these are not strictly of the same length, but are equal to the time in which the 

 moon's true motion from the sun is 12°. From the new moon till the moon 

 arrives at 12° distance from the sun, is called the first teethee. From thence till 

 it comes to 24°, is called the 2d teethee; and so on till the full moon; after 

 which the teethees return in the same order as before. The civil day is con- 

 stantly called by the number of that teethee which expires during the course of 

 the day. As the teethee is sometimes longer than one day, a day sometimes 

 occurs in which no teethee ends. When this is the case, the day is called by the 

 same number as the following day ; so that 2 successive days go by the same 

 name. It oftener happens that 2 teethees end on the same day, in which case 

 the number of the first of them gives name to the day, and there is no day 

 called by the number of the last; so that a gap is made in the order of the days. 

 In the latter part of the month the days are counted from the full moon, in the 

 same manner as in the former part they are counted from the new moon ; only 

 the last day, or that on which the new moon happens, is called the 30th, in- 

 stead of the 15th. 



It follows from what has been said, that each half of the month constantly 

 begins on the day after that on which the new or full moon falls; only sometimes 

 the half month begins with the 2d day, the first being wanting. The manner of 

 counting the days, as we have seen, is sufficiently intricate; but tliat of count- 



* My reasons for saying that tlie civil years begins at the day after the new moon next before the 

 beginning of the solar year, are as follow: 1st. These almanacs begin at this time, and, moreover, 

 the year of Veekramadeetya and Salavahana, which is set down at the top of each page, is the same 

 in the first page as in all the following, which would be improper, unless the year began at tliis time. 

 2dly. In the calculation of the eclipse of the sun, in Pere Patouillet's Memoir, given in Bailly's 

 Astronomie Indienne, the computation is made for the new moon preceding tlie beginning of the solar 

 year, and yet the year of Salavahana, and of the cycle of 6o, set down in the Memoir, is the same 

 as if the solar year was already begun. Sdly. Pere du Champ, in his table of the names of the years 

 of the cycle of 60, given in the same book, has added to some of them the corresponding vear of 

 Christ, together with a day of the month. This day, in all of them, is tlie day next after the new 

 moon, preceding the beginning of the solar year: and though no explanation is given, nmst evidently 

 be intended for the day on which the year begins. And 4thly. It is said in the Ayeen Akbery, by 

 Abraham Roger, and I believe some other authors, that the year begins at this time. To tlie last ;3 

 authorities indeed it may be objected, that they are taken from places in wliich we do not know that 

 the Benares almanac is used ; but they show, that in some parts of India the year begins at that 

 time, and if it does so in any place, it most likely does at Benares. — Orig. 



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