________________
SEPTEMBER, 1890.)
NOTES AND QUERIES.
283
5458
-
4612 =
182907
the other motions are not so correct; and in the next chapter he deduces the elements which he had engraved in the temple of Canopus at Alexandria.
From the above it appears that Hipparkhos assumed the length of the sidereal year at about 365-259859 days;? and as his value for the Precesson was 20 in 150 years, his tropical year was 365 days 5h. 54m. 42.88., being 29 seconds less than Ptolemy's. For the revolution of the moon's apsis we have, 4612 - 4573 = 39 revolutions in 126007 days, or 1 in 3230-9498 days, while
Ptolemy's data in the Canopic inscription and Syntaxis give 3231 616554. And for the revolu.
4267 x 5923 tions of the node, in the same period, or 1 in 6799.6088d., Ptolemy's period being 6796-5367 days. The Rômaka-Siddhanta values of these two elements are 3231.8196d. and 6796-2917d. respectively, — differing con. siderably from those of Hipparkhos.
J. BURGESS. Edinburyh, 10th July 1890.
NOTES AND QUERIES. THE DATE OF KALIDASA.
THE WINDS OF ASHADHA. Professor Kielhorn has recently pointed out
During the early part of the Rainy season, up to (Nachrichten von der Königlichen Gesellschaft
lichen Gesellschaft about the end of August, over the westerly parts der Wissenschaften und der Georg-Augusts.
of the Dakhan which are beyond the range of the Universität der Göttingen, 1890) that, in the
south-west monsoon rainfall, there blows per.verse commencing in line 17 of one of the
| petually a cold, violent, and most worrying and Mandasor inscriptions (Gupta Inscriptions,
uncomfortable wind from the monsoon quarter. p. 83, and ante, Vol. XV. p. 198) the real reading
The cultivators of the Kanarese country have the is remd-sandtha-bhavanodara-bhaskar-máu &c.;
following saying about it: - Ashddha-masada and has drawn attention to the similarity between
ghaļi bisi-bisi badeyuvaga heni nanna jfvave the ideas in this verse, and those in Kalidasa's
hengas-dga-bdrade, - “when the galos of the Ritusamhara, v., 2, 3 (Sisira-varnana), which
month Åshadha are blowing in gusts and buffet. run -
ing us about, O my unhappy soul! why caneti
thou not become a woman " That is, the poor Niruddha-våtâ yana-mandirôdarat
ra'iyat, shivering over his work in the fields, wishes hutâśano bhånumatô gabhastayaḥ
that he could take the place of his wife, who sits guriņi vâsâmsy-abalah sa-yauvanah
in comfort at home by the warm kitchen fire. prayanti kale=tra janasya sêvyatâm 11 Na chandanam chandra-marichi-sitalar
THE VIRGIN MARY AND HER SISTERS. na harmya-prishtham sarad-indu-nirmalam
On a hill near Bandra, known as Mount Mary, na vågaval sandra-tushåra-sitala
there may be seen a beautiful chapel dedicated janasya chittam ramayanti sampratam11
to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, after Prof. Kielhorn's point is, that the composer of whom the hill is called. It is believed that the the inscription must have had these verses image contained in it was caught in the net of a running in his mind; and consequently that the Christian fisherman, who was told in a dream, Ritusan hara must have been composed the same night, to erect the chapel on the spot before A. D. 472. This seems likely enough. where it now stands. This image is very And we know already, from the Aihole Méguţi popular for its miraculous cures, and thousands inačription (ante, Vol. VIII. p. 239), that the of all castes and creeds flock there throughout fame of Kalidasa, as also of Bhâravi, was well the year, particularly in the month of September, established, far to the south of Mandasör, before when a grand feast, the Nativity of the Blessed A. D. 634.
Virgin Mary, is celebrated with novenas. * If the divisor of 344 revolutions 352) "nearly" were 1 Hindus, Parets, and the like, call it Month Mdulicha increased or diminished by $, it would diminish or increase Pragar; Salsette Christians call it Monthcha Dongar. this value by about 17 seconds. Elsewhere, Ptolemy gives quotations from Hipparkhos, in which he says 300 tropical ? On the onst, i. e. the back of the chapel, is a long yours want 5 days of Meton and Euktemon's assigned flight of stop; and a Roman Catholic procession, on value: this would strictly give 365d. 52. 5 . 56.848., but the evening of Palın Sunday, leaves St. Andre he couplee it with the statement that the same period of and winding its way through the fields ascende these 300 years would be only a day less than if we follow steps, prosenting # veritable semblance of the way to Kalippos,' and this gives 365 + +- days, or 3652.
Mount Calvary. It then enters the chapel of the Virgin
Mary to listen to a serIDOD. bh. Sm. 12.., which Ptolemy adopts throughout his work.
