New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-08
AMERICAN CLOCKS FOR CHINA.
FROM ChAmher.,. Jsara.l.


With all their ingenuity aid industry the Chinese appear
10 employ themselves but little the Of clock making
ard be safely declared that Geneva turas out more
time keepers year than are produced the ~hse OF
the Celestial Empire In the large city Of Nsnkn there
not than forty clock makers Saches ha' thirty
ard Ming DO than while. until recently.
the value of the clocks and watches imported into China
from Europe, amounted TO about half million dollars
yesry Iis said that the number OF clocks really manu-.
stured in the country twelvemonth does not exceed
500 fact the remarkable chen contrasted with
the state Of the in ether countries The watch aud
clock makers in London. including tn se who manufacture
portions Of the mechanism only, amount TO mora than
Loco and is well known the enterprsng hoToogsts
Of New England make and export clocks every year by
tens of thousands These latter with that keen spirit a
trade which cbarscerEes them have lately been turning
their attention to China profitable market for their
handcrit; and request was dispatched some Tune snco
from the United States Patent Obce To sseh American
citizens as resident in the hOwery land Tor any ntor
nation that might promise to benefit the branch OF indus
try in question
eath.r that Chinese have always been too deficient I'm
their acquaintance with atron my and mathematics to
construct proper sunjss and that their knowledge OF
these instruments was obtained from Europeans while
hour glasses known only ~ cen'rysnce employed
in Western countries to MEASURE tmo Many Celestial
gentlem make II qua 10 carry two watches,
among these cmens of very ancient workmanship are
SON etmes met with rotund rs Nuremberg eggs and
the wesrers often anxious o make the pair veil
together The trouble they in consequence In for
mer DAYS some Of the Je.ut Fathers who sked
in clock making. will be found mentioned Ia "a Lttrss
Edifa, hs Il Curfeuses.
n
lent tw hsur and they represented by twelve char
scier on the clock face being thos, used also 10 designate
the months The first in the lat lmsanng Sonl IA
ployed At the commencement Of every cycle and 10 the
fr every period Of twelve years and also 90 the
uencs ment Of the civil day-s II z. Accomplishing
the period between this and A. N. The month which
Is sepfed BY this term Is not the sr.t Of the Chinese
wear but siDgulary enough comedies with January.
Each Of the twelve hours divided into eight kh COR
responding 10 quarter h.urs The durns division OF
time does not appear have been In In the time OF
Confucius mention is made in the spring and autumn
snnals If the hH hours Of the day"
The writer whore rema ks we quote, recommends his
country men in manufacturing clocks for thu Chinese, to
sdout the clock face commonly used In China with sons
s proven ents Of which would be 10 surround the
twelve "tosry characters with ring Of numerals ZION,
one 10 twenty four every alternate Of which would be
oppose the half hour mark Of the inner circle corresponds
rg with whole hour Of time and 10 continue the use
Of the four signs which stand near the center OF tho
face 10 indicate midnight dawn, noon and evening The
pendulum to vbrzte seconds the minute hand 20 make
half revolution at every sixty secondsi and The hour
hand TO 20 but round the face in the whole durn
period As the result Of this srrangement" o'clock
our reckoning the hour hand will be half way be-
tween the large character At the top and the next 10
"ihe right and the mnutshand having made half rev
oluOn will point perpeDdcuarly downward, and the
clock strike one At the expiration Of smother 81
"hours whole Chinese hour v have expired, when the
former hand will have reached The first large character
O the right ard the latter will be directed N the zenith
the clock striking two The minutehanl H. there
fore 10 twelve revolutions in the twenty onr hours
The clocks are be constructed With lines and weights
As those with springs not liked IN China and Cs
estisl always likes 70 what he buying IL suggested
hatihs works be made visible possible and Of good
quality 20 avoid the loss that would be sure 10 follow al
4mpf. 10 palm of clocks made a. sell merely 10 grstfy
the hiuese wish for utility hs lower part Of the door 70
contain looking glass II not this something very ornA-
mental and inside Instructions 10 the native character Tor
fixing winding regulating SC. Such clocks As are here
descrb.d can he manufactured in Connecticut for ~ 30
each ard they be sold China at from 81 TO ~
each we may shortly expect 10 great and profitable
trade in American time keepers between the two counnes