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from 71 to 70, that the periods might accord. In like manner, Sir William Jones rejected the Menwantara of 306720000, for that of the author of the Surga Sidenta of 308448000, to avoid a fraction of thirty; adopting the year of 357 days in lieu of that of 355. Still the calculations are just, the divine age being symbolical of five days, and the Menwantara of a current year.

The Chaldean chronology may be explained in the same manner: Their calculations are all made on the year of 360 days; because they reckon by Σαροι, Νειροι and Σωσοι, which equally originate in the subdivisions of time, multiplied into each other, allotting 60 seconds to a minute, 60 minutes to an hour, and 60 hours to a day. The Chinese follow the same numbers, and the Savan day of the Hindus consists of 60 Dandas or Savan hours. The Chaldean second is just half an Hindu Casht'ha; their minute half a Cala; and their hour half a Mahurta*. These numbers multiplied into each other produce 3600, and 216000: The Chaldeans have, likewise, a period of time, by which they sometimes reckon, consisting of ten days; and in history, the Netpos is often stated at six hundred, instead of sixty, making the Zapos 36000, in lieu of 3600. But this is merely a distinction without a difference.

* Vide p. 20.

For their next calculation is then by six, instead of sixty. Berosus supposes the Nepos to be six hundred. Thus when he represents a prince as reigning ten Zapot, or 36000 years, it denotes an hundred, in lieu of ten years: the Zapos being three thousand six hundred, the Nepos six hundred, and the Ewoos sixty.

Another circumstance, which throws much light on chronology, is the cycle of sixty years; which the Hindus trace very accurately for 4988 years from the present time. The Chinese, as well as the Hindus, regulate time by this division; and as their cycles commence with the same year, it is to be presumed, that it was the mode which each nation carried with them, when the world was divided by Noah, between his sons. The Cali

age having commenced in the 12th year of a preceding cycle, evinces that the cycle was in use before A. M. 900. The Chinese name the cycle Kya-tse; the Malabars Chi-tran. Each of these nations carries time back to 4002 years before the Christian era; each of them has it's cycle of cycles, a grand period of 3600 years, or 60 × 60 = 3600 at the expiration of which, a new grand period commences; so that we have no certain data by which to place the cycles, further back than

A. M. 829.

For example, the Spring equinox of the ChrisVOL. I.

C

tian era 1807 answered to the first of Chittera Prabava, of the 24th Chi-tran; Chittera being the Malabar name for the first Hindu month when the Sun enters Aries, and the year commences; and Prabava being the name of the first year of every Chi-tran or cycle of 60 years*. The Brahmans either are, or profess to be, ignorant, relative to the period, when the Chi-tran was first introduced. But this ignorance is probably assumed, with a view to carry the period back beyond it's real date. It is certain, that the Cali age commenced when eleven years of the second cycle of a grand period had elapsed; from which they infer that this period ended on the 3528 th year of the Cali age which is certainly correct, as will be proved by calculating back, from the present time, A. D. 1815, or year of the Cali age 4917, which answers to the Malabar year Yeevan, which commenced in April last; being the ninth year of the 24th Chi-tran, or cycle of 60, which commenced A. M. 3529, or years B. C. 473. Now if a grand period commenced 71 years before the Cali age, it commenced 3173 years before the Christian era, answering to the year of the world 829; to which adding 3600 years, the succeeding or present period commenced A. M. 4429, or in the Cali year 3529; and 3600-71=

Vide Appendix (A).

3529, the first year of a grand period, which answers to the Spring equinox of the 427th year of the Christian era: from which to A. D. 1807, when the 24th, or present cycle commenced, is 1380 years; which period, divided by 60, gives 23; evincing that the calculations are just. For the Cali year 3529 +1380=4909; and the year-of Christ 427+1380=1807*; proving, beyond controversy, that the Cali age commenced B. c. 3102, or A. M. 900.

There is another division of time on the coast of Coromandel, by which the Malabars represent the age of the world, viz.

Raradauyaken..... 640000

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The aggregate gives 1080000, one-fourth part of a divine age. But as these numbers are not found in any classical author, and form no part of the Hindu cypher, they are irrelevant to the present enquiry.

The dynasties of the Chaldeans and Egyptians are, in respect to time, subject to the same objections with those of the Hindus; and may be equally reduced to a conformity with the Hebrew text of the Bible. We must, however, recollect, that the

* Vide Letter II. and Appendix (A).

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Chaldeans reckon by Zapót, and consequently by years of 360 days; whereas the Hindus usually reckon by years of 355 days; sometimes by years of 357; and at other times by years of 360 days, according to the Menwantara adopted.

The original year of the Vedasis,

of days 355, or .

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That of Meya or the Surya Sidd

hanti, 357, or

}306720000.

That of the Chaldeans or prophe-}

tic, 360, or

308448000.

311040000.

One author informs us, that "the Chaldeans present us with an unmeasurable account of time in their first dynasties. The times of their first kings are reckoned, not by years, but by Zapot, Neipoi, and Zwool. Now according to them, every Zapos contains 3600 years, Nepos 600, and Zwoos 60. They reckon 120 Zapo from the beginning of the reign of Alorus or Adam, to Noah; making the number of years 432000 for ten dynasties, or reigns." But, in this account, Bishop Stillingfleet alludes to the antediluvian dynasties, which I will explain in a future Letter*. The Chaldeans, like the Hindus, vary their cypher with the occasion. The 120 Eapot of this author were the 1200 years, during which the race of Cain was supposed to rule in Babylon, before the deluge. Another

* Letter the 4th.

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