Directory_and_Chronicle_1845 — Page 611

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ECLIPSES OF SUN IN 1830.

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I. There will be an annular eclipse of the Sim Feb. 12, central at Singapore, and visible in the morning at Canton; it commences in long 39o E.

• 11. Where will be a votal eclipse of the sun, Aug. 7th, invisible

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ai Canton, but seen throughout the Pweifio. It edmmences in long! 1632 E.

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CHRONOLOGICAL CHARACTERS

ACTERS

Of these the Chinese have several classes: the following tre the most ancient and most generally used. They consist of two sets of characters, the phe of which, called Shik kan, the 'ten stems, or Tien law, the iqleștial stems, inajuden tęt pharaotem, viżjed I!

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2 43 Kism, 4 Z Xib, 8 ply Fing,

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7 Káng 8 Sin, 9 – Jin, IP

The other set, called

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Ting, 6 w6,6 K3 Kwei,

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Shih-rh chí, the twelve branchez,

Tiché, “terrential branches," consist of the following twelve characters

地

17 Tsz, 2

Chau, 3

Yin, 4

Mau, 5

W 8

Wi, 9

Shin, 10, 11

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Shin, Sz, Siuh,121 Hái.

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These characters are applied to years, months, days, and hours, as well as to the points of the kompass. For chronological purposes they have been combined so as to form a cycle of sixty, as represented on page 3. Kjaų μhe first of the, ten, is joined to tz', the first of the twelve, and read hiih-taz', which denotes the first year, moith, &c. of the cycle. 'In the same manner gib and chau, the record of the two sets are united, and so on through the 'ten steins.' Then kiáh, the first of the ten, is joined to siyh, the 11th of the twelve, and in this knannter the conjunction îs continued up to sixty, whên the tenth of Abu 'stems,' and the twoich of the ‘branches, come together, and the cycle recommences. The 30th year of Tàukwang, which commences on the 12th of February 1859, is the 47th of the cycle of years and in called Kang-sinh; the firet moon of That year is the 15th of the cycle of moons, and is called Wu-ying and the lat day of the

1st moon is the 31st of the cycle of days, and is called Küúh-wh.

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For hours (and also for the points of the compass) the 'twelve branches' are used singly. The civil day of twenty-four hours is divided into twelve periods of two hours Each called shí shin, which are designated by the characters of the twelve brancher, in the following manner ;