The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-11-28

THAT Or THE CHINESE, FOR IT ls
AS YET MERELY ANTHOLOGY.


There g. 40 r'irscopc ~ the rcking OBJ
scr,ntory. but Many Elnbor7to tns,ru.
mcr,. Of No Arrnrcn, Use wonderful
u,it Ia "a, oi,scry,,o,, rourr.
Astronomy ~ 'hinr is ~ very
primitive condition The observatory
nt IolinN ls the only one b'lunHihg 10
emma Which ~ ui any importance "
Is situated upuh "A terrace wliich runs
nlunH tho iuriihchtinns ~ the CITY ana
cond' it necessary. hr usoh as Tor
uess.
Ihn instruments which 70 contains ar'
rcm1r. uI' Tor ihut historical intrfc't
and WitHiie beauty rather Than Tor their
scientific value IrrhWH th" most IN
tctc Irt "l i..' | the hug" bronze
quadrant sent hY Louis Nl' tu the 'hi'
no' Emperor LN" l' in the s'vrn'
tn"NiN rH'H.E III# probably ihn most
mui.u uI Dlu 'uu.ul's thn most acc.
CulI'u instrument lu tlH WUui" COlloc.
tiuu IN' '...I piece" ui tNu uWnrNuiu
~ iH Iu D,.ru.Iy muuiN htuulr instru
mOut which uM constructed 10y the
chiil..ruumUu thr Emperor Kublm.
Khan i1 on. ihIlD.ulh century Tho
iom o' thu instrument somewhat ro.
sumtlua % muupu equatorial but its
use rs urublDmuncul This astronomer,
Whose uuu vHs kru King may
bc cnIlrd tho Napoleon .i Chinese ne.
truumy, for hc was tine inst 10 con.
struUf instruments Of amy practical val
ne. uul tlr observatory owes 10 him
nearly ull ita astronomical appliances
Tho gigantic celestial sphere is another
object ui interest Though G feet IN Ill.
amotcr md weighing more than ton,
yet H. rn ho easily rotated by "a child,
so carefully Is IT balanced
The instruments ato all oi very orna-
mental construction Oulity was IA sec
ondary consideration To appearance, aud
the hatlve wnrkmoh VINO constructed
them were Tar more concerned about tho
dragons WIN llaincs issuing from thclr
mouths and the hideous figures adorn'
my tho instruments thnn they were
about the accuracy OF the divisions
The number OF men employed by tho
Celestial government to manage the Oh,
serVatory Is very large. including all
tho officials ana salaried students, there
are 200 Ihero Is chancellor at tho
head' ana altcr nm are directors SUB
dlreotorsand assistant subdirectorswith'
out number. post III the Peking OBJ
servatory, thongh honorary is consid.
cred to toboavery important position and
the present chahcellor Is an uhcio OF
the emperor
Ills subordinates arc also men OF
rank, the two directors having right
to the button OF precious stones and
jewclod image OF the sea raven, which
is worn ON the heart. Their Offices are
hereditary tabort the only ones i'll Chi
ma which are), because they alone have
the calculation tables which the Jesuits
introduced in the seventeenth century,
and thoy keep them carefully hidden
away.
One of the principal features In n
modern observatory is a telescope In
the Pcking observatory there is not a
single telescope, and there never has been
one, or at least there is no record Of il
This is not astonishing in view of tho
use which the Chinese make of astrono
my The only real value it has for
them is TO determine their numerous
fast days and the dates of idolatrous
feasts which the emperor periodically
holds at th 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, and the
council Of the board also meets on the
last day of every year, and at midnight
tho chancellor solemnly ascertains the
direction Of tho wind and informs {
board. They then draw their conclu
sions and the result is circulated far
and wide.
The most favorable direction of the
wind is from the northwest and should
this wind prevail every sort Of happi
ness may be expected during the ensu'
ID On that date, 1894, the wind was