north; ami south and fow tbe bisectijjg interaediate
point®, The $3,030 eight characters also signify eight equal
divisions o£ the natural day, of space during which the
earth revolves; upon, its own axis in. pursuing.rts, cosasrse
round the §nnaevery swh division being of three hours.
The characters denoting thAsj divisions are. so. placed all
to point out heady the ppsifion of the sun at those djffe-
reut'pottiona of the day, beginning ait sunrise,' ofwhieh
the character means also the eastern, portion, of the hear
yep#. With this first ehete. ijf eight divisions:agrees the
first eoippass, which is said to have, appeared in Europe
in the. hegijiTii.pg of theifohrteehda centmyi; and which,
by sjibse^u^rt subdivisions, was improved into thirtys-
tWo points, as seamen became more expert and accurate'
in observation. :
In another circle of the Chinese compass' .ire lw£"iit}%
four divisions, breach of w hich .’if^naradtLi is instated,
which marks, at the same time, a twenty-fourth portion
of the heavens, and a twenty-fourth part of flnf natural
day:' According to this division, ^eath point, dr-'<p|?nty-
fourth portion of the compass, comprehends an integral
number of fifteen degrees out of three hundred and sixty,
into which all circles of the celestial sphere have been
agreed to be livided, probably since that. early period
when the number of days, in which the sun performed
his apparent course, was supposed to be three hundred
and sixty.
- Tfio4r^>inihgJcir‘ohsi' round. the* Chinese .ceiftpaSs „N^gj£
contai«Vih#elfeTapfeor^-te® cycl^^sixtyl^aW, by r e lie f
which thisinairehi|Tl^^tek its(tehfokbl'bgy; Cand < other
eharhftey ;^presifi!Vdld ^ ^ 4h$ddf^l?‘^^a^ and’lmytkdr
% g ^ b d o e t o e s ^ ’Wh^'*e^<^so?:tohed*iaSfto
render thikansiruiiJbnb' fas ifa'milrab to tfe#.peoplo ashore,
4 W'W
.. The
net hav^d# A f e im l l^
Their .
in>miny.-othersyd®tihe.r^lis^hthabof|Euro'pearr;'phidhsojihhrsftj
b l^^tiohsFtffiat whilW%h© inU^leti^ifefedle,
yjApp^'d^ by it^BS,ti^^)Oints aWbh^extremit^M'iehe
nort^y ie^#^Sfeiil^Eli'c^fe>,va't',tM#'ite,l^£o? theffsdhfih i
b i ^ h w u poMrit^;<hand./ii^4r^d round
|||^#6ree,’ 'wilkresume-h^whenfigfii aD hhok%$jits original
station 'bppfssite its Bespaffitivdlf^fe^ft: Thus* th'll power,
whiolhfrincipall^afeGts' th'|^^dl%Jmay be'supposed
to res'ide toward ‘ditfieB^oyhotht’portiphs^of the- earth.. In
Europe» it Hasheen?#hdfigMdiatf>1*h^ ih^di&lU^itstchief
tendehey to the north polMmt in China the H P j Q g
is cohsi’dired ias tepntaining th'dw^^iveypbw'e»r. The
Chinese name of-the eoihpass'is ijug-^an-c^irtg f Ohhbedl^ ..
pointing ‘to the south ;:rand a-disi|«gnisMng'marlSis fixed*
on thwiaagriet’rsouthenhpble», * aSr-n European compasses-
upon?tlfei^rtherffibne.-w2: ' m> ^
-The Emperor Caurig-sfelAgfandfatheKldthe present
TOE.. I...