760 Description of a Persmn Astrolabe, [No. 118, 



the somewhat unscrupulous scientific purposes of those times. To 

 what extent the Astrolabe may be now used by observers in Central 

 Asia, I am unable to ascertain ; but among Arab navigators it has given 

 place, generally, to the quadrant or sextant, upon which it has conferred 

 its name ; the latter being called the Belatee (or foreign) Oosturlab, 

 Though but little that is new can be said at the present day on the sub- 

 ject of the Astrolabe, about which volumes have already been written, 

 yet the one which in this article, I propose to describe, is so superior in 

 its kind, and displays a degree of taste and accuracy of execution, which 

 we would scarce be prepared to expect from Central Asia, about a 

 century and a half ago ;* and it is at the same time so crowded with 

 facts subservient to science, or superstition, that I am inclined to 

 believe a short description of it will not be unacceptable. As to the 

 plates, I may say generally, that for the Persian names of the planets 

 and signs, I have substituted the Greek symbols, which modern times 

 have adopted, and have changed for the Arabic numerals, those used 

 by ourselves. To this subs.titution, I have necessarily sacrificed the 

 elegance of the original inscription, in which the light and graceful 

 forms of the Persian characters are tastefully intertwined with flowers. 

 The object I had in view, constrained me to this sacrifice, — and that 

 was, to present, in as simple and general a form as possible, an intelli- 

 gible view of the instrument. 



The Astrolabe in question was brought from Herat by Major Pot- 

 tinger ; it consists of a circular piece of brass, about eight inches in 

 diameter, and three-fourths of an inch thick, being on one side so hol- 

 lowed out, as to contain several plates of brass, upon either side of 

 which Planispheres are described, according to the latitudes of the 

 principal places of Mahomedan pow»r or veneration. On its upper 

 limb is a triangular piece of brass, not represented in the plate, 

 through the apex of which a ring is freely passed, by which, for pur- 

 poses of observation, the instrument may be suspended in the vertical. 

 The back of the Astrolabe, with exception of the triangular part, above 

 mentioned, is represented in Plate I. Fig. a, while the face is partially 

 shewn in Plate II. I say partially, because the outer edge of the 



* Note. — The Astrolabe w^as procured by Major Pottinger from a party, 

 who had gotten possession of it on the flight of the original owner from 

 Herat, some time previous to the last siege of the town by the Persians. 



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