S58 ON THE ANTKJUITY OF 



mine the length of the year, to be given in that 

 system. 



36. In order to ascertain the length of the Hindu 

 year, two things are necessary to be first known. 1st. 

 The instant of the commencement of the year. 2d. 

 The time expired from the beginning of the cycle, to 

 that instant. The first, is supposed to be found by 

 observation by determining that instant of time, when 

 the difference of longitude between the Sun and a 

 known fixed Star, is equal to the longitude assigned 

 to the Star in the Hindu sphere. The longitudes of 

 the twenty-seven Yoga Stars, may be found in many 

 Hindu books of astronomy ; but all that have hitherto 

 come into ray hands, appear silent as to the manner 

 in which the observation is conducted, or the parti- 

 cular Star by which it is made: Chilra or the virgin 

 spike, (perhaps from its situation) is generally sup- 

 posed to be the Star observed on such occasions i 

 and its longitude, according to Brohma Gupta 

 and some others, is 6' S^O' in the Hindu sphere. 



S7. According to Varaha, the year 3601 of the 

 Cali yug, began precisely at the instant of the ver- 

 nal equinox j that is, the Sun had then entered Aries 

 according to the true motions : consequently, the 

 Hindu and European spheres had then (A. D. 499) 

 coincided. 

 The longitude of Spica, in A D. 



1750, was =6' 20" 21' 18" 



Deduct precession for 1251 years, 



at 50" 1 per a. = 



Longitude of Spica, in A. D. 499, ==6 

 Brohma Gupta makes it - ==6 

 Difference, about 

 However, from the most accurate comparisons I have 

 been able to make, respecting the length of the year, 

 as given in different books, whose ages are known, 



either 



