Vol. III. MifcelUnex Curiofa. 217 



Pins for Digits or Units, the Chinefe hath 

 five Beads : So that it may feem to argue 

 that the Chinefe Abacus was defigned for a Du- 

 odecimal ProgrelTion: Whereas that of the 

 Romans was defign'd for the Decimal. 



One thing is remarkable in the Chinefe^ 

 that 1 find the Abacus to lie Horizontal, and 

 their firfl: place to be that next the left Hand, 

 which I judge was alfo the firfl: in their old 

 way of reading, much the fame with ours, 

 though their other Characlers are erefted 

 (as I fliall by and by fhew) from the pofliure 

 of Writing and Reading, which I conjedlure 

 they did at firfl: make ufe of ; and what does 

 yet further agree with this conjedure, is re- 

 markable in the newly mentioned Trea- 

 tife of Vvlg. Beig. That whereas the way of 

 Writing and Reading ufed by the Arabs^ was 

 from the right to the left, the firfl: place or 

 the place of Units in their Numeration, was 

 that next the right Hand^ and fo came firfl: to 

 be read : As did that of China^ who as I con- 

 ceive read the .contrary way, from the left to 

 the right. 



It appears therefore by this Remark that 

 we received this way of expreffing Numbers 

 from tht Arabians^ for that we keep the fame- 

 pofl;ure or pofition of places with them, tho* 

 cur progreflion in Writing and Reading be 

 the contrary way. And though we now 

 read them alfo in the order they are fet,^ 

 twenty one, twenty two, thirty fix, forty 

 eighty &c. yet we retain alfo the other way 

 of Pronuncing, viz.. one and twenty, two 

 and twenty, fix and thirty, eight and forty, 



Kow 



