The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-26
INDIAN ASTRONOMY.
How the Red Men Mark the Changes OF
Seascu.

How the Red Men Mark tine Changes Of the
seascB.
A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Star writes from camp on Clear creek,
Wyoming Considering their igno-
rance Of astronomy, time is very ratien-
ally divided by the Indians. Those in
the interior parts land of those 1 would
generally be understood to speak, count
their years by the winters or, as they
express themselves, by SHOWS. Some
tribes among them reckon their years
by moons, and make them consist Of
twelve synodical or lunar months, OBJ
serving, when thirty moons have waned,
to add superpumerary one, which they
term the lost moon, and then begin to
count as before. They pay great re-
gard to the first appearance of every
moon, and on the occasion always re-
peat some joyful sounds, stretching at
the same time their hands towards it.
Every month has with it name ex-
pressive of its seasons. For instance,
they call the month of March lin which
their year generally begins at the first
new moon, after the vernal equinox),
the Worm month or moon I; because at
this time the worms quit their retreats
in the bark of the trees, wood, etc.,
where they have sheltered themselves
during the winter. The month of April
is termed by them the month OF Plants !;
May, the month of Flowers June, the
Hot moon July, the Buck moon. Their
reasons for thus denominating these is
obvious. August, the Fish moon be-
cause in this month they catch great
numbers of fish. September, the Corn
moon because in that month they
gather in their Indian corn. October,
the Travelling moon, as they leave
at this time their village and travel
toward the place where they intend
to hunt during the winter. November,
the Beaver moon for in this month
the beavers begin to take shelter in
their houses, having laid up sufficient
store of provisions for the winter sea-
son. December, the Hunting moon !;
because they employ this month in pur-
suit of their game. January, the Gold
moon ; as it generally freezes harder,
and the cold is more intense in this than
in any other month. February they
call the Snow moon, because more snow
commonly falls during this month than
any other in the winter.
When the moon does not shine they
say the moon is dead and some call the
three last days of it the naked days.
The moons FIRST appearance they term
coming to life again. They make no
division OF weeks, but days they count
by sleeps, half days by pointing to the
sun at noon, and quarters by the rising
and setting of the sun to express
which, in their traditions, they make
use of very significant hieroglyphics
The Indians are totally unskilled in
geography, as well as all other sciences,
and yet they draw on their birch bark
very exact charts or maps of the coun.
tries they are acquainted with. The
latitude and longitude are only wanting
to make them tolerably complete.
Their sole knowledge in astronomy
consists in being able to point out the
pole star, by which they regulate theil
course when they travel in the night
They reckon the distance of places, no
by miles or leagues, but by days
journey, which, according to the bes
calculations could make, appears t.
be about twenty English miles. Thes'
they also divide into halves and quar-
ters, and will demonstrate them in theil
maps with great exactness, by the HE
roglyphics just mentioned, when the,
regulate in council their war parties o.
their most distant hunting excursions
They have no idea of arithmetic, ant
though they are able to count any mum
ber, figures as we'll as letters appea
mysterious to them and above their com
prehension,