(See Dozy and
Engelmann, p. 140.)
[11] This is an error of Ricci's, as Mr. Wylie observes, or of his
reporter.
The Chinese divide their year into 24 portions of 15 days each.
Of these 24 divisions twelve called Kung mark the twelve places in
which the sun and moon come into conjunction, and are thus in some
degree analogous to our 12 signs of the Zodiac. The names of these
Kung are entirely different from those of our sign, though since the
17th century the Western Zodiac, with paraphrased names, has been
introduced in some of their books. But besides that, they divide the
heavens into 28 stellar spaces. The correspondence of this division to
the Hindu system of the 28 Lunar Mansions, called Nakshatras, has
given rise to much discussion. The Chinese sieu or stellar spaces
are excessively unequal, varying from 24 deg. in equatorial extent down to
24'. (Williams, op. cit.) [See P. Hoang, supra p. 449.]
[12] Mr. Wylie is inclined to distrust the accuracy of this remark, as the
only city nearly on the 36th parallel is P'ing-yang fu.
But we have noted in regard to this (Polo's Pianfu, vol. ii. p. 17)
that a college for the education of Mongol youth was instituted here,
by the great minister Yeliu Chutsai, whose devotion to astronomy Mr.
Wylie has noticed above. In fact, two colleges were established by
him, one at Yenking, i.e. Peking, the other at P'ing-yang; and
astronomy is specified as one of the studies to be pursued at these.
(See D'Ohsson, II. 71-72, quoting De Mailla.) It seems highly
probable that the two sets of instruments were originally intended for
these two institutions, and that one set was carried to Nanking, when
the Ming set their capital there in 1368.
[13] The 28 sieu or stellar spaces, above spoken of, do not extend to
the Pole; they are indeed very unequal in extent on the meridian as
well as on the equator. And the area in the northern sky not embraced
in them is divided into three large spaces called Yuen or
enclosures, of which the field of circumpolar stars (or circle of
perpetual apparition) forms one which is called Tze-Wei.
(Williams.)
The southern circumpolar stars form a fourth space, beyond the 28
sieu. Ibid.
[14] "This was obviously made in France. There is nothing Chinese about
it, either in construction or ornament. It is very different from all
the others." (Note by Mr. Wylie.)
[15] "There follows a minute description of the brass clepsydra, and the
brass gnomon, which it is unnecessary to translate.
