SUMATRA. 
I will attempt a palTage by fuch a route, for my father, when iiving, 
told me that he had left his tokens there." They eflimate the diftauce 
of places from each other, by the number of daysj or the proportion 
of the day^ taken \jp in travelling it, and not by meafurcmcnt of the 
fpace. Their journey, or day^s walk, may be computed at about twenty 
miles; but they can bear a long continuance of fatigue. 
cjifonology, '^^^ Malays, as w^il as the Arab£ and other Mahometan nations, fix 
the length of the year at three hundred and fifty four days, or twelve 
lunar months of twenty nine days and an half; by which mode of reck- 
oning, each year is thrown back above eleven days. The original Su» 
matrans rudely efliraate their annual periods, from the revolution of the 
feafons, and count their years from the number of their crops of grain 
(imm paddee); a prad:ice, which, though not pretending to accuracy^ 
Is much more ufeful for the general purpofes of life, than the former, 
which is merely adapted to religious obfervances. They, as well as the 
Aftfonomy. Malays, compute time by regular lunar periods, but do not attempt to 
trace any relation or correipondence, between thefe fmallcr meafures and 
the folar revolution* Whilft more polifhed nations were multiplying 
miftakes and difficulties, in their endeavors to afcertaii> the completion 
of the fon*s courfe through the ecliptic, and in the mean while fufl&ring 
their nominal feafons to become almoft the reverfe of nature, tbcfe peo- 
ple without an idea of intercalation, preferved the account of tkeir 
years free, frona eScatial, or at leaft progreffive error, and the eonfuJion 
=which attends it. The divifton of the month into weeks I belieye to be 
unknown; except where it has been taught with Mahometanifm; the 
day of the moon's age being ufed inikad of it, where accuracy is re- 
quired; nor do they fubdivide the day into hours, Tq, denote tiie time 
of day, at which any circumllance they find it neceflliry to fj^eak of, 
happened, tliey point with their finger, to the height in the iky^ at 
which the fun then flood* And this mode is the more general and pre- 
cife, as the fun, fo near the equator, afcends and defcends almoft per- 
pendicularly, and rifes and fets,. at ail feaibns of the y^eatj within a few 
minutes of fix o'clock. Scarce any of the flars or conftellations are dif- 
tinguiflied 
