Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1906-07-13
FIXING THE SEASONS.
some Peoples stin Follow the An-
client Egyptian Methods.

Some ReOnAfn hNhAA HeAA0W NAG Ah~
Client Egyptian Methods.
The inhabitants Of BorneO make use
OF the same means for fixing the times
OF their agricultural seasons as were
used by the early BritOns and In Egypt
between 1000 and 1000 B. c., says the
Journal OF the Asiatc Society. They
rely, that Is to say on the time OF ris-
ing of certain consultations just be-
fore the sun, known to astronomers
as their heliacal rising. Many an
Gent temples ore found TO be orlented
20 the point Of the horizon. which
marks the heliacal rising Of the Plel-
AIDES on May morning.
The natives OF BOrneo are using the
rising OF the same constellation as a
guide to the proper time to prepare
their ground to grow their food sup
ply. When the dry season Is perceiv-
ed to be approaching two men are sent
out into the jungle to observe. There
they watch. perhaps few nights, per-
haps a month. until the Pleiades are
seen on the horizon just before the In.
creasing sunlight causes the stars to
fade Then they return to the village
and announce the fact. The inhabit-
ants now know that work on the for
est must be commenced. II by any
means they have missed the heliacal
rising Of the Plelades and have delay
ed 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 wait
till the Pleiades are ut the zenith at
sunrise before they set fire TO the rub
bisb.
The above Is the method adopted by
the Dyaks Other y hboring tribes,
the Keny0hs and ku. ms. make use OF
the length OF the shadow cast by n
stick at noon TO determine their sea
sons. 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 repre-
sent the lengths Of shadow which ex-
perience has shown to correspond with
favorable times for their various agri-
cultural operations.
The SamOans, on the other hand, FIX
their seasons 10y the appearance OF n
curious marine worm, which they call
the palolO. The val palolo. or time OF
The palOlO. Is the name Of one OF their
seasons. as spring Is one OF ours. This
strange worm lives In the lnterstices
Of the coral reefs and at certain sea-
sons makes its appearance In the open
'ea In immense numbers. 1t Is eagerly
gathered and eaten by the natives.
II the swarm appears. say. at 3
''clock In the morning. II has totally
disappeared by D o'clock. Both male
Ind female worms break up into In
fragments, and the eggs are
ertiliZed In the water. The coming
II the palOlo IL regulated by the moon,
md yet, strange to say, In the long run
{ keeps solar time. II the dates OF its
appearances were separated by twelve
nnar months, then. reckoning by tho
lay OF the month. II would be eleven
lays earlier each year On the other
aud, II II came every thirteen months
would be eighteen days later each
ear. This Ia rectihed by having In
very cycle OF three years one interval
{ thirteen and two Of twelve months.
finally by the addition OF an extra In
erval OF thirteen months In a cycle OF
wenty-nine years the error h less
han one day In a century.