Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-07-29
Chinese Time.

Before the introduction Of clocks and
watches in China native instruments EN-.
| plOyed for recording the flight Of the hours
may practically be said TO be confined 10
two in number. the sun-dial and the water
clock, though other devices have appeared
at various times They both have claims
to great antiquity. The water clock 10 said
to have been invented in the days of the
Yellow Emperor, if not by his Majesty
himself, some twenty-six centuries before
the birth OF Christ, and the sun-dial is
attributed to Chow Kung (B. G. 1l00),
but such accounts may safely be relegated
10 the category of the legendary. Both
these Instruments have been so often de-
scribed, that other and more interesting
details may be found. In the reign, for
instance, of Kublai Khan, we hear OF a
clamp water clock" being offered as gift
to the emperor, which contained a drum
and bell, and struck the hours regularly.
1t would be difficult TO say just what this
clock was, but the word lamp reminds one
that candles were used to measure time by
the Chinese long before theirreputed inven-
ton by England's monarch student thou
sand years ago. The Emperor Hsuan
Tsung, of the Tang dynasty (S47-860 A.
D. } is said to have had in his possession
twelve marvellous jade counters, each with
one of the twelve horary periods marked
upon its face, and these, if thrown into
water, would rise TO the surface, each at
the occurrence of the period which it was
specially intended to represent. In the
history of the last-mentIoned dynasty we
are also Informed that, Gin tower in the
Fuh-ln country (variously identified with
ConstantInOple, Palestine, etc. there hangs
up large golden weighing machine, with
twelve golden balls attached to the end of
the yard. representing the twelve divisions
of the day. Alongside stands the figure
of "A man. also made of gold, and, whenever
one of the above periods is reached, a
golden ball drops with a clang to announce
the same" But the most brilliant piece of
workmanship of all was splendid lamp
water clock belonging to the above-men-
toned kublai Khan. 1t was seventeen
feet in height; it rested upon frame
richly ornamented with gold and pearls.
On the left was representation Of the sun;
on the right, of the moon; while at each
end of The beam wasa dragons head, Open
mOuthed. and with its glaring eyes fixed
upon the stream of water, rs if, we are
told, jealously watching the regularity of
its perpetual drip. On the central beam
were depicted Two full length dragons,
playing with a pearl, and also engaged in
supervising the proper flow Of water from
the clepsydra. The lamp globe, or cage in
which the light was placed, was divided
into four lalitudinal sections, on the upper
one of which were four deities, represent
ing the sun. moon and certain of the stars.
This section turned round once in every
dav. On the second were a dragon, a
tiger, pEGniX and tortoise, each in its
proper place, and at fixed periods these
jumped about TO the sound of cymhals from
within. The third section was marked out
into one hundred parts or divisions OF the
day, corresponding to our quarter hours,
and above these divisions were twelve del
ties, each holding tablet indicating one Of
the twelve horary periods of the Chinese
day. There was also the figure of a man,
drawing attention with its outStretched
finger to the hours as they passed in regu-
lar procession along. On the lower section
were bell, drum, gong, and cymbals,
each with an attendant in charge, who
struck the instruments at the first, second,
third, and fourth quarters respectively.
The whole of the above effects were pro-
duced, we were informed, Dy water-power
acting on machinery concealed in large
case near the clepsydra. The method of
striking the five night watches IN Chinese
yamens at the prest mt time is as follows: (:
One blow on the drum and one on ching
mot ''gong") for setting the watch; one on
the drum and two on the ch ing for the be-
ginning of the second Of the i've parts into
which each watch is divided; one on the
drum, and three, four and five on the ch ing
for the periods up to the beginning of the
second watch, which is announced by two
blows on The drum and one on the ching,
the blows on the latter increasing up TO tive
as in the previous watch. Thus four blows
on the dram aud three on the ching would
tell the public that three -fifths of the fourth
watch had elapsed and that the fourth di-
vision was about to begin. We may add
that the ching may be described as broad
fiat piece of metal bent 10 an obtuse angle
OF about one hundred and twenty degrees