Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-08
DETERMINING SEASONS.
Heliacal Risings of Consultations as
Guide.

From the New York Tribune.
1t appears from paper in the Journal
Of the Asiatic Society that the nhabitants
of Borneo make use of the same means for
fixing the times of their agricultural sea-
sons as were used by the early Britons, and
in Egypt between 1000 and 2oG0 B. They
rely, that is to say, on the time of rising
of certain consultations just before the
sun-known to astronomers as their hellacal
rising Many ancient temples found
to be oriented to the point of the horizon
which marks the heliacal rising of some
particular constellation. The temple Of
Hecatompedon and the older Erechtheum,
1895 B. c. and 2020 B. c.. respectively. were
found to be oriented to the heliacal rising
of the Pleiades. on May morning. So in
our own country. those groups Of stones
known as THE Hurlers" near Liskeard,
in Cornwall, are oriented in similar way.
The natives of Borneo are using the ris-
ing of the same constellation as guide to
the proper time to prepare their ground to
grow their food supply. When the dry sea-
son is perceived to be approaching two
men are sent out into the jungle to observe.
There they watch. perhaps few nights.
perhaps a month, until the Pleiades are
seen on the horizon just before the increas-
ing sunlight causes the stars to fade. Then
they return to the village and announce
the fact. The inhabitants now know that
work on the forest must be commenced. If
by any means they have missed the heliacal
rising of the Pleiades, and have delayed
operations till Orion's belt Is seen rising
just before the sun. they know that they
must work double shift. The ground being
cleared, they then walt till the Pleiades are
at the zenith at sunrise before they set fire
to the rubbish
The above Is the method adopted by the
Dyaks. Other neighboring tribes. the
Kenyahs and Kayans, make use of the
1apo 9th IF a q 4
noon to determine their seasons. Situated
as they are between the tropics the shadow
Is cast on the north or south of the stick.
according to the time Of year. The length
of the shadow also varies as the sun passes
from Cancer to Capricorn and back. The
shadow is measured by means Of a notched
stick. The notches represent the lengths
of shadow which experience has shown to
correspond with favorable times for their
various agricultural operations.
The Samoans, on the other hand, fix their
seasons by the appearance of a curious ma
rine worm, which they call the palolo. The
name of one of their seasons, as spring Is
one of ours. This strange worm lives In
the interstices of the coral reefs and at
certain seasons makes its appearance in the
omen sea in immense numbers. 1t is eagerly
gathered and eaten by the natives. II the
swarm appears, say at o clock In the
morning, it has totally disappeared by 8.
Both male and female worms break up into
innumerabIe fragments and the eggs are
fertilzed in the water. The coming of the
palolo is regulated by the moon, and yet,
strange to say, In the long run it keeps
solar time II the dates of it's appearances
were separated by twelve lunar months,
then, reckoning by the day of the MONTH
it would be eleven days earlier each year.
On the other hand, If 1t came every thirteen
months 1t would be eighteen days later
each year This Is rectified by having In
every cycle of three years one interval Of
thirteen and two of twelve months Finally,
by the addition of an extra interval of
thirteen months in a cycle of twenty-nine
years the error Is less than one day In Q
century.