174 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Dec. 



took place in Aswini at any period except the 3rd April answering to 

 Sunday. 



There was a solar eclipse observed at Rome on the 1st April, A. D. 

 238, and one on the second April, 1307, observed at Ferara, but 

 neither of these fell on a Sunday, therefore I am of opinion that the 

 one named in the text must have occurred on the 3rd April, A. D. 

 889. 



(Signed) George Peacock, F. R. G. S. 



Formerly Master, Royal Navy, 1835. 



To Bdbii Rajendralala Mitra, Hon. M. R. A. S. Phil, Secretary 

 Asiatic Society, Bengal. 



Sir, — I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 

 No. 765 dated the 28th ultimo, together with extracts from Major 

 Ellis' letter. He states in it, that the Solar eclipse, observed at 

 Constantinople in the month of April, 889 A. D., happened on a 

 Sunday in the Krishna Pahsha, the month Chaitra, when the 

 moon was in Asvini. But I have carefully ascertained that this eclipse 

 occurred on Friday and not on Sunday. I have determined this also, 

 that the eclipse answers to the 3rd April according to the old style, 

 but by the new style it fell on the 8th April. Major Ellis mentions 

 also that no Solar eclipse took place in Asvini at any period except 

 the 3rd April answering to Sunday. But this is not the case, as a 

 great Hindu Astronomer named Ganesa, the author of Grahdlaghava 

 says : 



n'iq ^sf%f^ f^n*Tf^r ^Twk^*n-n 



v jo 



wu ^st f^T^Tfif%friir^ ^ra rr^r ^t ^t ^wtx n 



" In the year 1443 of the Salivahana era the Sanwatsara called 

 Vorsha and the month of Chaitra, a total eclipse of the sun took place 

 on Sunday at the time of new moon, 13 ghatis (from sunrise) in the 

 nakshatra asvini. At the time of obscuration the star asvini (a 

 Arietis) even though it was too near to the sun, the planets Mercury 

 and Venus, and the seven stars of Ursa Major &c, were visible, the 

 owls were flying all about and all people were confused." 



