The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-07-18
FIXING THE SEASONS:
Some Peoples sim Follow the An
Client Egyptian Methods.


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 Brltons and In Egypt
between 1000 and 1000 b. c., says the
Journal of the Asiatlc Society. They
rely, that is to say, on the time of ris-
Ing of certain consultations Just be-
fore the sun, known to astronomers
MS their helincnl rising. Many an
Client temples are found to be orlented
10 the point OF the horizon, which
marks the helacal rising of the Plei-
AIDES on May morning.
The natives of Borneo are using the
rising of the same constellation as
guide to the proper time to prepare
their ground to grow their food sup
ply. When the dry season is percelv-
ed to be approaching two men are sent
out into the jungle to observe. There
they watch, perhaps few nights per
haps Il month, until the plciadcs are
seen on the horizon just before the In
creaslng 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 he commenced. If by any
means they have missed the heliacal
rising of the pleindes 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 PleiadCs are at the zenith at
sunrise before they set fire to the rub
blsh.
The above Is the method adopted by
the Dyaks. Other neighbOring tribes,
the Kcryahs and Kayans, make use or
the length of the shadow cast by a
stick at noon to determine their sea
sons. Situated as they are between
tie 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 us the sun passes
| from Cancer TO Capricorn and back.
d, sEaG9a IL measured by means of
n notchrl stick. The notchcs repre-
snnt the lengths of shadow which eX-
| p2rience hls shown to correspond with
| favorable times for their various agri-
| cultural operations
The SaAOans, on the other hand, fix
their seasO"s by the appearance of Il
curious marine worm, which they call
the palolo The vai palolo, or time of
the paOlo. is the name of one of their
seasons. MS spring is one of ours. This
strange worm lives in the interstices
Of the coral reefs and at certain sea-
sons makes its appearance in the open
sea in immense numbers. 1t is eagerly
gathered and eaten by the natives.
If the swarm appears, say, at j
o'clock in the morning 1t has totally
disappeared by o o'clock. Both male
and female worms break up into In
Vulnerable fragments, and the eggs are
fertilized in the water. The coming
! Of the palolo Is regulated by the moon,
and yet, strange to say, in the long run
| 1t keeps solar time. If the dates Of its
appearances were separated by twelve
lunar months, then, reckoning by the
day of the month. ii would be eleven
days earlier each year. On the other
hand, if it came every thirteen months
it 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 in
terval of thirteen months in Il cycle of
twcnty-nine years the error Is less
than one day in n century.