Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-11-23
QUEER ASTRONOMY.
rHAf OF TIE CHlNE5E, FOR IT ls
AS YET MERELY ASTRoLoeY.


ments OF No Apparent Use--wonderful
Bell In the Observatory Tower.
Astronomy in China is in very
primitive condition. The observatory
at Pebing is the only one belonging to
China which is of any Importance. It
is situated upon terrace, which runs
along tho Notifications of she city and
could, if necessary, be used us a for
sress.
The instruments which it contains are
remarkable for their historical interest
end artistic beauty rather than for their
scientific value Perhaps the most in
teresting of these is the huge bronze
quadrant sent by Louis XIV to the Chi
nese Emperor Kang Hi in the seven
teenth century. 1t is probably the most
modern and consequently the most &C.
curate instrument in the whole collec
tion. The chief piece of the observato-
ry is an extremely ornate bronze instru-
ment which was constructed by the
chief astronomer of the Emperor Kublai-
Khan in the thirteenth century. The
form of the instrument somewhat re-
sembles modern equatorial, but its
use is problematical This astronomer,
whose name was Kou Shou King, may
be called the Napoleon of Chinese as
tronomy, for he was the first to con-
strIct instruments of any practical val.
ne, and the observatory owes to him
nearly all its astronomical appliances.
The gigantic celestial sphere is another
object of interest Though feet in di-
ameter and weighing more than o ton,
yet it can be easily rotated by child,
so carefully is it balanced.
The instruments are all Of very orna-
mental construction. Utility was Sec
ondary consideration to appearance, and
the native workmen who constructed
them were far more concerned about the
dragons with flames issuing from their
mouths and tho hideous figures adorn-
ing the instruments than they were
about the accuracy of the divisions.
The number of men employed by the
Celestial government to manage the OBJ
servatory is very large. Including all
the officials and salaried students, thOre
are 200. There is a chancellor at the
head, and after him are directors, sub
directors and assistant subdirectors with
out number. A post in the Peking OBJ
servatory, though honorary, is oonsid-
cred to be very important position, and
the present chancellor is an uncle of
the emperor.
His subordinates are also men of
rank, the two directors having right
to the button of precious stones and q
jeweled image of the sea raven, which
is worn on the heart. Their offices are
hereditary (about the only ones in Chi
ma which are), because they alone have
the calculation tables which the Jesuits
introduced in the seventeenth century,
and they keep them carefully hidden
away.
One of the principal features ia a
modern observatory is telescope. In
the Pelring observatory there is not
single telescope and there never has been
one, or at least there is no record of It.
This is not astonishing IN view OF the
use which the Chinese make of astrono-
my. The only real value II has for
them is 10 determine their numerous
fast days and the dates Of idolatrous
feasts which the emperor periodically
holds at the various temples when he
executes the sacrifices and performs the
rites laid down in the sacred books.
The astronomy Of the Chinese was In
fact and Is yet merely astrology. The
duty Of fixing these dates falls upon the
officials Of the observatory, aud the
council Of the board also nests On the
last day Il every year, and at midnight
the chancellor solemnly asoertains the
direction Of the wind aud Informs the
board, They then draw their ooDolu'
si0ns, and the result is circulated far
aud wide,
Tho most favorable direction Of tho
wind IL from the northwest, and should
this wind prevail eyoTy sort of bappir
meas may be expected during tbs eDsu,
ing year Tho Chinese year begins Feb
a. ON that date, 1894, tho Wind was
frolu tho southeast
Tho clocks used in tho observatory
arc an wata oloohs, like the an0ient
olopsydra " tho Romans, and an im'
poftaut parl ~ the duties " lhe QlaeTY
atuiy officials ls ~ Rag tbs changes ~
the night watches 0n tho great boil "
pehiuR, which hanRs Nv tho l,ell tower
end NnRbs i2O, 900 ppunas, u 4 foot
hiRb, ~ ild in circumference ana u
ulado ~ brop1o inobs THICK u u
siiuok ~ . W001lep boala, ~ ihal lhe
neise maae W y % pol laopo'iiepsie ~
lis aa
~ fhe diam l0BW sFe kepi ihe ~
aepsD il0ks, Which Mf opHligaally keli
baguinR aHd which mari ilie passsse "
flnle N n0ujppnllpp viii lAe balef
alpfks hprb We ihf mimlilYe means
ahlfh 90 Dlnsat laNsess ~ laiH'aslHh
Aelualnifd Diih halfNVlulfsl spbjptf,
,nd il0uHh iho hlHimF "a hines1 ~
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gnl illo gaai mslwliy silll believe lNsi
lhr OaliL h. iilN iWmHf sllf efiiitf ~ $40
sada haa fDll Nwia
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lHlulaiina iH fiieHiE $40 siifl ~
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