39 ° 
Mr. Cavendish on the Civil Tear 
ends on those days. It begins with the day after that on 
which the astronomical year commences. This is marked as 
the first of the month, the next day is called the second, and 
so on, regularly to the end of the month. In like manner, all 
the other months begin on the day after the astronomical 
commencement, and the days are continued regularly to the 
end, so that the number of days in the mouth varies from 23 
to 32 * 
* Perhaps I do not express myself accurately in saying that the civil month begins 
at the day after the commencement of the astronomical. It is true, that in this alma- 
nac it is the day after the commencement of the astronomical month, which is marked 
by the number one ; but it must be observed that the Hindoos count by years com- 
plete, not by years current: for example, the year 1000 of the Kalee Yug begins at 
the time when 1000 years are completed from the Kalee Yug ; and it is likely that the 
same manner of counting is adopted with regard to days, so that the day of the month 
marked one, does not signify the first day, but the day which begins at the expiration 
of the first day, and^consequently that the civil month begins at the sun-rise of the day 
on which the astronomical month begins. I, however, have chosen to say that it be- 
gins at the day after, partly because I am not sure that the foregoing is the true mean- 
ing of the Hindoos, and partly because it would have been difficult to express myself in 
such manner as not to run great risk of being misunderstood, if I had done otherwise. 
What is here said applies equally to the lunar month in this and the Benares almanacs. 
Though it is foreign to the subject of this paper, I cannot refrain from taking notice 
of an error, which I apprehend many European astronomers have fallen into, from not 
distinguishing between days current and days complete. It is common to say that the 
astronomical day begins twelve fiours later than the civil day, and the nautical day 
twelve hours sooner ; and it is true that the hour, which, according to the civil account 
is called one in the afternoon of the first of January, is written by astronomers January 
H i h , but this, I apprehend, ought not to be read i h on the ist of January, but i d and 
i h from the beginning of January, so that in reality the astronomical and nautical day 
both begin iz h before the civil. A'proof of the truth of this is, that in astronomical 
tables the place of the heavenly bodies set down for the beginning of the year, is the place 
for noon of the last civil day of the preceding year ; and moreover, in Halley’s tables 
this place is said to be annis Julianis ineuntibus, which shews that he thought that 
this was not meely a practice used for the sake of convenience, but that the year ac=, 
tually begins at this time. 
