﻿226 ON THE ASTRONOMICAL COMPUTATIONS 



Moreover, it does not appear that skill in the ab- 

 struse parts of modern mathematics is indispensably 

 necessary ; but that, with as much knowledge of ge- 

 ometry and the circles of the sphere as, it may be 

 supposed, most of the members of this society pos- 

 sess, a considerable progress might be made in re- 

 vealing many interesting particulars, which at pre- 

 sent lie hid to Europeans in the Jyotish, or astrono- 

 mical, Sastra. 



The prediction of eclipses and other phenomena, 

 published in the Hindu Patra, or almanac, excited 

 my curiosity long ago to know by what means it was 

 effected ; but it was not until lately that I had any 

 means of gratification. I had before this been in- 

 clined to think, wirh many others, that the Brahmens 

 possess no more knowledge in astronomy than they 

 have derived from their ancestors in tables ready cal- 

 culated to their hands, and that few traces of the 

 principles of the science could be found among them ; 

 but by consulting some Sanscrit books, T was induced 

 to alter my opinion. To satisfy myself on this sub- 

 ject, I began with calculating, by a modern Hindu, 

 "formula, an eclipse which will happen in next No- 

 member i the particulars of which process, although 

 in some measure interesting, were not sufficient for 

 my purpose, as it yet remained to be learnt on what 

 grounds some tables used in it were constructed ; 

 and for this information I was referred to the Surya 

 Siddkanta, an original treatise, and reputed a divine 

 revelation. For a copy of the Surya Siddhanta I am 

 indebted to Sir Robert Chambers, who procured it 

 among other books at Benares ; but the obscurity of 

 many technical terms made it some times difficult to 

 be understood even by the Bandit I employed, who 

 v, as by no means deeply versed in the science he pro- 

 fessed. Bv his diligence, however, and through the 

 obliging assistance of Mr. Duncan at Benares, who 

 procured for me the Ti:a t or Commentary, this 



