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XX. On the Civil Tear of the Hindoos, and its Divisio?is ; with 
an Account of three Hindoo Almanacs belonging to Charles 
Wilkins, Esq. By Henry Cavendish, Esq. 
Read June 21, 1792. 
Though we have received much information concerning the 
astronomy of the Hindoos, we know but little of their civil 
year, and its divisions ; and what accounts of it we have re- 
ceived vary much from each other, owing partly, as will be 
seen, to different methods being used in different parts of India. 
As it occurred to me, that the best way by which a person in 
Europe could clear up the difficulties in this subject, would be 
to examine the patras, or almanacs, published by the Hin- 
doos themselves, I applied to Mr. Wilkins, ' well known for 
his skill in the Sanskreet language, who was so good as to 
lend me three such, and assist me in finding out their mean- 
ing. 
One of them was procured by Mr. Wilkins at Benares, and 
is computed for that place. The second came from Tanna, 
in the island of Salsette, near Bombay ; but it appears to be 
the copy of a Benares patra, as it is disposed in the same form 
as the first, and is adapted to the same latitude and longitude. 
The third is computed for Nadeea, a town of Bengal, about 
50 miles N. of Calcutta, almost as noted for learned men as 
Benares, and much frequented by students from the coast of 
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