The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-01-18
QUEER ASTRONOMY.
THAT OF THE CHINESE, FOR 1T is
AS YET MERELY ASTROLOGY.

There Is No Telescope In the Pel1ing OBJ
servatory, but Many Elaborate Instru-
ments of No Apparent Use-Wonderfu1
Bell In the Observatory Tower.
Astronomy in China is in a very
primitive condition. The observatory
at Peking is the only one belonging to
China which is of any importance. 1t
is situated upon terrace, which runs
along the Notifications of the city and
could, if necessary, be used as for
tress.
The instruments which it contains are
remarkable tor their historical interest
and 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 ac-
curate instrument i'll 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 i'll the thirteenth century, The
form Of the instrument somewhat re-
sembles a 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-
struct instruments of any practical val
ue, 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 a 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 a 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 the 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, there
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 consid-
cred to be a very important position, and
the present chancellor is an uncle Of
the emperor.
1S SJ1h 1rln a1 Of
rank, the two directors having a right
to the button of precious stones and
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 i'll the seventeenth century,
and they keep them carefully hidden
away.
One of the principal features in a
modern observatory is a telescope. In
the Pelling observatory there is not u
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 it has for
them is to 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, and the
council of the board also meets ON the
last day of every year, and at midnight
the chancellor solemnly ascertains the
direction of the W ind and informs the
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-
ing year, The Chinese year begins Feb.
IA. On that date, 1894, the wind was
from the southeast.
The clocks used in the observatory
are all water clocks, like the ancient
clepsydra of the Romans, and an i'm
pOIlduJ pttIO Vi luG NulltS VI li6 ODStLN-
atory officials is to ring the changes of
the night watches on the great bell Of
Pelzing, which hangs in the bell tower
and weighs 1870, 600 pounds, is ii feet
high, "a feet in circumference and is
made of bronze 8 inches thick. 1t is
struck by wooden beam, so that the
noise made by it is not proportionate to
its size.
In the drum tower are kept the in
cense sticks, which are continually kept
burning and which mark the passage of
time in conjunction with the water
clocks. Such are the primitive means
which the Chinese possess for becoming
acquainted with astronomical subjects,
and though the history of Chinese as
tronomy begins with that of the empire
yet the vast majority still believe that
the earth is the immovable center of the
world. New York World.