1042 Transactioxs of the American Institute. 



also say that it was a snn-dial, which I at first snp.osed meant that the 

 time was determined by the length of its shadow ; but its height, 

 being not more than twenty-five to thirty feet, would preclude that 

 idea. On a close examination of a very fine photograph kindly 

 loaned me by a friend, I found a pin protruding from each facade, 

 and from each of these pins curiously arranged diverging lines ran 

 downward. These pins were probably for casting the shadow, and 

 the lines for determining the hour. 



It seems to me that the clepsydra must have independent origin in 

 several countries ; for when Julius Caesar invaded Britain, fifty-five 

 B, C, he found them in use among the natives, and by them discov- 

 ered that the summer niglits there were shorter than in Italy. 



If we turn to India, we find them there, and they tell us the story 

 of the beautiful Liliwati, daugliter of one of their learned men, who, 

 it was predicted, would die unmarried. Her father determined to 

 avert so horrible a fate. lie made choice of a husband for her, 

 obtained an astrological determination of a lucky hour, and placed 

 the damsel, adorned as a bride, near the Avater-clock, to watch and 

 wait for the auspicious time. But alas ! tlie hour passed unnoticed, 

 and, on examining the clock, the lovely creature found that a pearl, 

 becoming detached from her dress, had fallen into the water and com- 

 pletely closed the orifice through which it should have flowed. Her 

 sadly disappointed father, in despair, exclaimed, " I will write a book 

 in your name that shall remain unto the latist time." This he did, 

 and Liliwati is a work known to Hindoo scholars to this day. The 

 Brahmins of India measure the time by means of a copper bowl, 

 with a small aperture in the bottom, which they leave floating on 

 the water. AVhen it gets full they empty it, and strike the hour on 

 a gong, and sometimes on the copper bowl itself. 



About the year 800 the King of Persia sent to Charlemagne a 

 clepsydra that presented the first rudiments of a striking clock. The 

 dial had twelve small doors. At each hour a door opened and the 

 proper' number of balls fell out at regnlar intervals on to a brass 

 drum. The time could be seen by the number of doors left open, 

 and heard by the number of balls falling out. At twelve o'clock 

 twelve horsemen in miniature issued forth, rode round the dial and 

 closed all the doors. 



The clepsammia or sand-glass was invented at xilexandria al)out 

 150 B. C. ; it is the hour-glass of the present day. On an ancient 

 bas-relief at the Mattel palace at Komc, representing the marriage of 



