Chronology of the Hindoos. ' 37^ 
the cycle of fixty into itfelf, and confequently that the firft 
year of this grand era mud alfo have been the firft of the 
cycle; but this is totally inconfiftent with the fad; the Kalee 
Yoog began with the 13th year of the cycle of fixty, and all 
the reafoning founded on the felffproduCtion and harmony of 
thefe periods muft fall to the ground (u). 
It now remains to take notice of a mode of reckoning pecu- 
liar to the province of Bengal , and thence denominated the 
Bengal era. The circumftances of its inftitution are involved 
in obfcurity, and I do not find that even a conjecture on ' the 
fubjeCt has yet been offered to the world. It is admitted, 
however, to have been impofed by the Mahometan conquerors, 
and is therefore of no very remote antiquity. The moil ob- 
vious confideration that prefents itfelf, in examining the date 
of this era, is its proximity to the year of the Hejera; the 
Bengal year 1 196 complete ending on the 10th April, 1790, 
and the Hejera year 120400 the 10th September following. 
The difference has plainly ari fen from the inequality of the 
folar and lunar reckonings, and its accumulation fince a cer- 
tain period when they muft of neceffity have coincided ; and it 
is no improbable fuppofition, that the time of fuch coinci- 
dence was alfo that of introducing the mode of computation 
which has fince prevailed. By afcertaining the amount of this 
difference, and the number of years required to produce it, we 
may expect to arrive at a knowledge of the period in queftion, 
or to approximate it at leaft. As the Hindoos compute from 
the elapfed year, and the Mahometans by the current, the 
difference between the two dates fhould be fix years and feven 
months; but as this correction of one year may be prefumed 
equally applicable at the fuppofed time of the coincidence, and 
therefore unneceffary in this inftance, it will follow that the real 
, - N difference 
