Astronomy. 299 
cause of science, he placed his collected materials at the disposal of the 
American Oriental Society. The result appears in the sixth volume of 
the Society’s Journal, in an article of 350 pages (more than half the 
volume), of which a separate edition has also been struck off, and can 
be obtained, at $2.50 a copy, from the Society’s agents (New York, 
John Wiley, 56 Walker st., etc.). It has been prepared by Mr. William 
D. Whitney, Professor of Sanskrit in Yale College, and Corresponding 
Secretary of the American Oriental Society. In revising the transla- 
ion, as aimed to make it, not only faithful, but also in some degree 
intelligible, by expanding the condensed expressions of the original, and 
by giving English equivalents for the scientific, technical, and mytho- 
logical terms which abound in it. In the last case, however, the de- 
mands of the Sanskrit scholar are satisfied by adding the original terms 
enclosed in marks of parenthesis. We say, “in some degree intelligible” ; 
for a mere translation, however skilfully executed, would of necessity 
present numerous and almost insuperable difficulties to the occidental 
_ Yeader. These difficulties arise, partly, from modes of conception pe- 
culiar to the Indian mind; partly, from peculiarities in the methods 
and processes of the Hindu arithmetic and geometry; partly, from the 
fact that the work is composed in Sanskrit verse,—a mixture of poetr, 
and science which is familiar to the Hindus, though to our view incon- 
gtuous and absurd. The style of the original is exceedingly condensed 
and cramped, and its language often vague and ambiguous. In fact, it 
- 
, 
cal science, accessible to the initiated, and employed by them for the 
Uses of instruction, the teacher supplying in his own oral comments the 
Indispensable explanation. : 
To remove the difficulties of which we speak, Prof. Whitney has 
added a copious and elaborate commentary, which follows the translated. 
text from point to point, and not only illustrates its meaning, but com- 
ro its principles and processes with those of European astronomy, 
r 
attractive style, which cannot fail to interest all who are capable of tak- 
ing an interest in the subject. The demonstrations which are given to 
show ; 
‘ € correctness, or (as the case ma ) incorrectness, of the 
Hindu rules and methods, are drawn out with much fullness and clear- 
hess, and offer no difficulty to those who have a fair acquaintance with 
the elements of geometry and trigonometry. It appears from an ac- 
knowledgment in the introduction, that Mr. H. A. Newton, iia 
Preparation of this commentary. i bite 70 
The subject of Eclipses is treated with particular care. This may be 
ed, indeed, as the centre of Hindu astronomy, the great end of 
F 
Mary 6, 1860, made by himself in strict conformity with the data and 
Methods of the Sarya-Siddhanta. We find also a calculation, accord- 
+ © Hindu data and methods, of the solar eclipse of May 26, 1854; 
‘\owever, was mainly prepared for Mr. Burgess by his Hindu as- 
