Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1895-01-10

There l. ~ .eope Ia til reklas o.
seEvasery, nut Nfany Elaborate Instru-
mint If - apparent L, Wouderfnl
Fell Ia - Crseryetor. Towe7.
Astronomy IL China is il d very
primitive condition Tie observatory
1T Pckiug Is tn oIiy Oh / longing t.
China which i Of any importance. /
is situated upon 4 terrace, which runs
along the f1rtiGcations q tho city and
rould, if necessaIy he used a. a for
tress
The Instruments which It contains al
remarkable for tL-ir historical interest
and artistic beauty rather than f0r theiY
scientific value. Perhaps the most il
tercstinc Of these is the huge bronze
quadrant sent by Louis NV - the Chi.
nese Emperor Nang III in the seven
teeuth century. 1t Is probably Jha most
modern and consequently the most ac-
curate instrument ii the whole colleo-
zion. The chief piece Of the Observable
~ Is Al eXrrs l4ciy ornat- bronze instru
nlent which was constructed by the
chief astronomer 4 the Emperor hublai
Khan III the thirteenth century. The
form Of the instrument somewhat re-
semblca 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 h. was the first to con
struct instruments Of any practical val
nc, and the observatory owes 70 him
nearly all its astronomical appliances,
The gigantic celestial sphere is another
object Of interest. Though feet in d.
ameter and weighing more than q ton,
yet il can b. easily rotated ty a 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 vOrkmen who constructed
them were far more concerned about the
dragons with flames issuing from their
mouths and tho hidoous figures adorn-
ing the instruments than they We're
about the accuracy u the divisions.
The number If men employed by the
Celestial government to manage the OBJ
seryatory Is very large Including all
tho officials and salarjcd students. there
are 600. Thcre is a chancellor at tie
head. and after him. are directors. sub.
dir,c-crsa and assistant ,ubGjrccrors with.
out number a post in the Picking Oh
aeryatorE, tNo@s.l honorary, is consid-
erDd 70 heA rary IL. portant POSITION, and
tba rr,-ant rbauc.llor * an unclo Of
tha C,u7leror
TIi. ..ulc,3in.t.. a, also ,nan If
RAM. the Tvs. director. having a right
r. th. l,,rto,, IF rraoio,,. stones and .
i4,yalad i,ua.a. IF ,ua. sou raven. which
i, yraru on tb. bfsre Their Offices aro
bareditorv ,ab-ur the. ollv ono. in Chi.
m which aro. l.aar.. ill., alone have
tL. c,1o,,I,ti.,, -.1.I..s ,.f:ch tha Jasuits
introduced in Tie v.nreenrh century.
and rhrc l-oar, them carof7llv hidden
away
one # the rrinoinal features in a
modern obsarvaforv i q talascono In
the pelzinn observatory there is not a
siuole teIesco,,o. ana thcra never has baan
ono, or at least There j., no record Of If
This i ror as+cni.hj,o il, vieyv of tha
nso which tla Gbj,.e.c +1nal.. If a.tro}o.
my II. -,1v roa1 va1,a t. ho. for
Thorn j. 70 determine rhn;r numerous
fast DAYS and tho dates Of id,l7tror,
feasts which the emraror r.~iodicallv
holds ar Tho vnrior. +a,orI-s v.bnn hn
executes the sacrifices and parforns the
rites laid down ia the sacrfd hooks
The astronomy of the Chimes, ,,as in
fact and J., VET merely a.-roloav. Tho
dutv Of fixing tla.o dates fails Unon the
officials of tho olsorvatorv and +ha
connci1 Of thc hoard also r'cots on tha
lasr dav If every year. and a- ,,ilnirbt
the chancellor solonnly ascertain, The
direction Of tho wind and informs the
hoard Thev tben draz. thnir conc,u.
sions. and fine result j. circulated far
and vi1a
Tho ,nn.t favorable dir. otian oe the
Wind i fra,,, tbo nortb,yas+ and sbon1l
tbia Wind nrovai1 .vorv sort of horri.
nos, ,,a1. Le a.,,lotad duri,e, +hn ontn.
in4 ,.co,, TLc Chimes 1,.o, Lo,ins F.b
; -
v '''
Tho a1ool.s ,,sod j., tho l.,,..er,.o+c,.,