Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-08-23
THE e,HIYEsg cAIEYDAR.
Why the Dates In Cable Dispatches Ar
Sometimes Confusing.

10 4 +,
why the Dates In Cable Dispatches Are
Sometimes Confusing.
New York Tribune.
The soiourner in the far East is
sometimes driven to wonder why the
Chinese have a calendar at all. They
view the passing. Of time with superb
indifference !, ipupctnality, if such q
thing we're ever to enter into the
Celestial = calculation, would be re-
garded as undignified. Nevertheless,
they have a calendar, which is by no
means bad one when one, considers
its immense antiquity. A wise monarch
named Yao some time about 1900 b. o.
revised the calendar In use before that
date tic the form in which it is found
at present. A volume would be needed
to explain all its peculiarities, but
now that dispatches are mentioning
Chinese dates, it IL as we'll to have
some idea as to wherein the Celestial
calendar differs from the Gregorian,
The Chinese year IS lunar, aud there
fore consists of 354 days, Before the
time OF Yao tradition has 1t that the
year consisted OF 800 days, and that
confusion had resulted. That ruler
decreed that time should be measured
by the moon aud that every 10 years
should ccntair seven additional months
almost one extra month every three
years. This reckoning IL excellent; it
varies only about an hour every 10
years from the true time. =
Although the year is lunar, its be-
ginning is regulated by the sun. Thus
the new year comes between January
I'd and February 9Th, unlike the
n mi nh DO
lated entirely by the moon and comes
at any time, winter or summer. The
year is divided into ~ lunar months,
called by numbers, as first, second and
so on. The extra month that comes
about every three years Is not added at
the end, as ona would suppose. but is
to some system too subtle for Western
minds. The months are sub-divided
into three parts, which are not again
speak Of an event without mentioning
days are also numbered, SO that exact
should ever happen to want such a
thing. THERE'S no week, but foreigners
are gradually teaching the meaning of
120 minutes long, but in this instance
again the foreigner is making some i'm
preston on the ancient custom, and
the Chinese in and near the, treaty
perts are familiar with the Western
that Pekin Is Just about ~ hours ahead
of New York In point Of time.
The Chinese gather the years together
10 nj L., u k,,k e..
some extraordinary reason the cycle
ancient and probably has something to
do with old astrological superstitions.
Another method of numbering years ia
by the reigns of the emperors. The
present year is the Both Of the 76 cycle, or
the year 4536 since the adoption of the
present chronology. .tf'
formed by some combination of II
stem characters Joined with II
branch" characters. These are used
scribed only by lengthy article, and
| would probably then be not quite in.
telligible to the Western mind. To &c
straight to anything is impossible tc
the Oriental, aud the complicated
system Of naming the years is proof Of
Chinese ingenuity. !.
OF late years 1t has been supposed
that the Chaldeans and Chinese had
some intercourse at the time when Vac
reformed the calendar and that thu
two countries worked together In
making the change Certain it is thai
a similar event occurred in Chaldes
about the same time. But whenever
the calendar was adopted il is likely
for long time to Withstand the march
of progress. 1t is correct enough, and
the Inconvenience does not worry the
Chinaman in the least