of the suite crossed; shortly after, the Rajah himself appeared, and drew up on our side of the river, reviewing his troops as they galloped past him. He is a middle-aged little man, and seemed to be as proud of shewing his horse as most other natives. Excepting his body guard, of a hundred horse, clothed in yellow, blue, and white, he has no regular troops. We supply his highness with an army. His cavalry defiled over the bridge one by one; then came his elephants, led horses, and women. The palanquins his women are borne in, are very splendid; the women themselves are never seen. Youth appears the greatest charm in this country; the Rajah's wife, who has already had a daughter, is only 14 years of age. Passing the defilé was the only thing which at all approached our ideas of eastern magnificence; but even this is all show, elephants, and slaves. We encamped about six miles onwards. The Rajah's banner is attached to a long pole; it is very large, and of a dingy yellow colour; his tents are all surrounded by a canvass wall. At 3 o'clock Mr. M. was introduced to his highness. He was sitting upon a raised sort of dais. You take off your shoes on entering his black majesty's presence: salaam he returns not, but remains cross-legged. It is said, that when sir Lionel Smith went, at the deposition of the former prince, to release this gentleman from the prison in which he had been confined all his life, he did not salaam sir Lionel. 17th. Halted at Jejuree, and encamped; on the road we passed eleven elephants, some very large, some small. They had bells of different sizes attached to them; the music is not very disagreeable. We had our tent pitched under the same beautiful mango trees. The wild peacocks flew around us, and numbers of monkeys were gambolling about on all sides. The young monkey, if alarmed, attaches itself to the belly of the mother, and is thus carried along. Our leave of absence having now expired, we obliged to say farewell to our friends. We set out by moon-light for Poonah, lost our way, (no unusual circumstance where there are no roads,) descended the lower Ghauts, and grateful were we to find ourselves at Poonah, at nine in the morning, with whole bones. were 19th. We prepared for the entrance of the Rajah into Poonah. Our troops formed a lane, and the Rajah, attended by the commander-in-chief, the governor &c. passed through it. The whole gar rison was out; the artillery fired a royal salute. The Rajah rode a very spirited charger, whose neck was ornamented with massive gold chains. On the 20th I went to see the Rajah's camp: at Parbuttee, he, his brother, and favourite boy, were sitting on the cold rock, (with about 100 torches flaming around them,) on their way to pray in the temple on its summit. On Thursday the 21st, an order being issued, inviting every body to a durbar, or court, at government Bungalow, I attended. The floor of the bungalow was covered with superb Persian carpets, too beautiful almost to tread upon. At the farthest end of the spacious room were placed four chairs satin-covered, upon a raised dais, covered with red cloth with silver fringe. On each side of the room were placed rows of seats, the right hand of the dais for the great (native) men, the left for the Europeans. As the former arrived, they made their salaam to the governor, and took their seats according to rank. In about an hour, the guard of honour saluted. Behind The salute fired, hundreds of torches threw around their glaring blaze; the mighty yet humble elephants bowed low; and the Rajah of Sattarah, attended by his brother, officers of state, &c. amidst a thousand voices, resounding his rank, and shouting salaam, entered the room, the Rajah having hold of the governor's hand, his brother, the commander-in-chief's. The brother sat in the right-hand chair, his highness next, then the governor, and next the commander-in-chief. stood some who gracefully undulated rich tubes filled with feathers, and a dew of rose - water refreshed the space around; then there were the government servants dressed in red and gold, holding high sticks of gold. I cannot attempt to describe the Rajah's dress: suffice that it was cloth of gold beautifully tinged and minutely figured. In his turban he wore a splendid brooch, round his neck long rows of pearls and precious stones, on his fingers diamonds of a large size, &c. He is a fat, short, common-looking man, chubby cheeked, with large laughing eyes. His brother is a finer looking man than his highness, though not so intelligent. Besides the sword in his hand, which all natives have, he had a shield slung on his back. Then approached the great men, touching the earth with their right hand, and bending forward. As their salaam is offered, the name and rank of each is vociferated. The Rajah does not return 67 Astronomical Occurrences for January. 68 it; he scarcely looks at them, but moves | posing appearance, and so it continues his hand as permission to sit. One, an for an hour; these unfortunately had been old man, and a great warrior, was sup- damaged by rain or carriage, and did not ported to him, having lost an arm, and go off as well as they ought. This ended, being, they say, filled with balls received the black gentlemen were conducted as in battle. Then came forward the dancing heretofore, and in the race-course a scene girls the song and dance were accom- was displayed indescribable; - hundreds panied by the bells on their ankles. I of rockets, Chinese drums, and different cannot say I admire their singing, which coloured lights, burst upon us at once. is accompanied by instruments somewhat The night was very dark; the works were like our guitar. They say our music is extended over a very large circle, which, not to be compared to theirs. The sub- together with the discharge of artillery, the stance of their song is love, not unfre- | splendid dresses of the Rajah, &c. and quently tinctured with much indecency. on one side his elephants waiting with Large salvers, holding wreaths of flowers their magnificent howders, and covering for the neck, plumes for the turban, and of massively worked cloth of gold, formed bracelets, made of a white flower of very a sight more imposing and eastern than I strong perfume, like the jessamine, were had conceived. now brought in, and placed in regular At last all ceased; the Rajah ascended rows on the floor before the dais. These into his howder by a ladder carried on were headed by small silver bottles con- one side of the elephant, the animal taining oil of sandal, rose-water, &c. | having been ordered to kneel ;and here then there were salvers holding pastry, let me again mention with what ease and small packets of betel-nuts, cloves, and spices. The governor now placed a wreath, plume, and bracelets on the Rajah; after wards upon his brother; took the oil of sandal, and with a little spoon put a small quantity upon the handkerchiefs they held in their hands, sprinkled rose-water over them, and then took a handful of pastry, betel-nut, &c., and gave it to them, but they immediately handed it to one of their servants, these gifts being merely form. The rest of the black gentry, whose rank | entitled them, received the garlands (as mentioned above) from the Persian interpreter, not excepting the Rajah's favourite boy. The governor afterwards presented a small gold box to the Rajah, and a silver one to the Rajah's brother. Presents are really made to a large amount, (the above being merely form,) at least if we may call that a present, the value of which is estimated, and the like value returned. these huge animals are managed, and how docile and tractable they are: half a dozen ascended on the outside behind his majesty, and, lighted by hundreds of torches, proceeded to the camp at Parbuttee. An excellent stand-up supper was prepared in one of the governor's tents, and champagne in profusion. After supper I went to look at the notch. In a corner of the room, those not singing (only three girls sing at one time) were sitting crosslegged; some of them very pretty and fairy-like. 22nd September. We were under arms at 3 o'clock this afternoon, for a review for the Rajah; though rather an unpleasant hour in these tropical climates. Many a hearty soldier's blessing the Roger got (as our boys call the Rajah.) We worked away until quite dark, and got a complete wetting into the bargain. ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRENCES FOR JANUARY. As it is deemed indecent, by the natives, for women to appear in public, the governor, with his accustomed kindness, had pro- THE Sun enters Aquarius on the 20th, at vided a tent, which looked into the bun- 56 minutes past 11 in the evening. The galow, only divided by a thin screen, and Moon is full on the 2nd, enters her last the ladies had thus an opportunity of view-quarter on the 9th, her change takes place ing the wonders. | on the 17th, and she enters her first quarter on the 23rd. She is in apogee on the 2nd, perigee on the 16th, and in apogee again on the 29th; she passes Saturn on the 2nd, Jupiter on the 11th, Mars on the 12th, Mercury on the 15th, the Georgian planet on the 17th, Venus on the 18th, and Saturn again on the 29th. In about two hours his highness and brother were conducted, as led in, to a small tent, to see the Chinese drums, (fireworks) they are said to cost 500 rupees each. The firework is the shape of a drum. Fire being applied, the bottom falls out, and there descends a superb illuminated Chinese pagoda; shortly falls The Georgian planet is not a conspianother scene of a most grand and im-cuous object during this month, on account | of his proximity to the Sun; he is in conjunction with that luminary on the 19th, at 7 o'clock in the morning. Venus is gradually attaining a greater elevation above the horizon at sun-set, and will consequently be observed as the mild precursor of evening. She sets on the 1st at 37 minutes past 5, and on the 25th at 46 minutes past 6. She is at first below the two first stars of the Goat, marked by Bayer a and ß; from these stars she rapidly recedes, and directs her course to the second of the constellation Aquarius, and the fourth of the Goat, which are marked ẞ and 8; she passes between these stars on the 17th, nearest & Capricorni, and afterwards rapidly recedes from them, passing under the eighth of the Waterbearer, which is marked 9; on the 24th she finishes her course a little to the west of λ Aquarii, the eleventh of the Waterbearer: during the month she forms a scalene triangle with 6 Aquarii and Capricornii; on the 12th and 21st she forms an isosceles triangle with these stars, the second of the Waterbearer being the summit; on the 8th and 26th she also forms an isosceles triangle with them, the fourth of the Goat being the apex; on the 8th and 12th she is observed to the west of these stars, and on the 21st and 26th to the east of them: on the 19th she has 11 digits, or 11 twelfth-parts, of her disc illuminated on the western side, her apparent diameter being 11 seconds. During this month the planet Saturn is in that part of his orbit which is nearest the Earth; being in opposition to the Sun, on the eighth, at 30 minutes past 1 in the morning he rises on the 1st at 22 minutes past 4 in the afternoon, when he is noticed a little to the east of the fourth of the Twins, marked by Bayer; he gradually approaches this star, and passes it on the 16th, being only 2 south of it; he is afterwards observed between 8 and 9 Geminorum, gradually receding from the former star. During the month he forms a scalene triangle with Betelgeux and Procyon, and on the 10th an isosceles triangle with them, a Orionis being the summit. Mars and Jupiter are still in a very interesting position with regard to each other, and are conspicuous objects in the eastern hemisphere during the mornings of this month. Mars rises on the 1st at 41 minutes past 2, and Jupiter 13 minutes afterwards, when they may be observed near each other, Mars being to the west. They are both noticed to approach the first of the Balance marked a. Mars rapidly approaches Jupiter, and passes him on the 4th, at 4 in the afternoon, at the distance of 3 to the south. The conjunction takes place when the planets are below the horizon, otherwise it would be a most interesting object. He is noticed on the following morning to the east of Jupiter, on the 8th he passes a Libræ, directing his course under y Libræ, which he passes on γ the 25th; on this day he rises at 19 minutes past 2. Jupiter passes the first of the Balance on the morning of the 24th, and rises on the 25th at 27 minutes past 1: his first Satellite enters his shadow at 3 minutes 32 seconds past 5 in the morning of the 11th. An eclipse of the same Satellite takes place at 56 minutes 58 seconds past 6 in the morning of the 18th; it is also immersed in his shadow at 18 minutes 48 seconds past 3 in the morning of the 27th; his second Satellite is eclipsed at 48 minutes 49 seconds past 4 in the morning of the 10th. Mercury is approaching the Sun, and will not be visible this month. He crosses the ecliptic in his descending node on the 5th, and is in aphelio on the 15th. In a future number we shall describe the principal nebula and double stars in the constellation Canis Major, which was mentioned in our last, together with some interesting telescopic objects in the heavens. AN ESSAY ON A NEW METHOD OF CLASSIFYING THE FIXED STARS. IT is to the ancient Greeks and Chaldeans that we are principally indebted for our present method of arranging the stars: they not only placed their gods, but also their heroes and the principal events of their history, among the stars. To the ancient constellations the moderns have added some new ones, and Mr. Bayer has greatly improved the system by distinguishing the stars of each constellation by the letters of the Greek alphabet. This way of arranging the stars, it must be confessed, is more curious than scientific, as no such figures exist except in the imagination; and they are of no use to science, since they refer to nothing but heathen mythology and fabulous history, things that have been done away with ages ago, and I hope will never be revived again.-There is also some difficulty in learning to trace out these constellations, though by means of the celestial globe this may readily be done for any particular time; but to look at the heavens, and distinguish the constellations and the particular stars belonging to each of them, without that instrument, must 71 A New Method of Classifying the Fixed Stars. require more practice and observation than almost any other method of classification. The system that I am going to lay before my readers I think is much preferable to the old method, and is so unconnected with it, that it may be put in practice without rejecting the ancient constellations. It is as follows: 1. Let the sphere, whose poles are the poles of the ecliptic, and whose equator is the ecliptic, be divided into eight parts by circles drawn parallel to the ecliptic; these parts I shall for distinction's sake denominate heavens: the first, beginning at the north pole of the ecliptic, and extending from thence to 2210 degrees, i. e. to latitude 671; the second heaven extending from lat. 67° to lat. 45°, and so on of the rest, each zone or heaven being 22° in breadth. To each of these heavens I shall give a particular name, and every name must begin with a different consonant, for reasons that will be hereafter explained. Their names are as follows, beginning at the north pole of the ecliptic : | 72 Regions, the whole heavens are divided into ninety-six parts, each of which may be distinguished by means of names. Thus, we may say the Region of Creon, in the Northern Heaven; the same in the Heaven of Mentha, &c.; the Region of Feronia, in the Heaven of Doris, &c. 3rd. Now, let each of these parts be supposed to be subdivided into ten parts, which I shall call Mansions, by lines drawn parallel to the ecliptic, each Mansion being 2° 15′ in breadth. The names of these Mansions are as follows, supposing those on the north side of the ecliptic to begin southward and proceed towards north, and those on the south side of the ecliptic to begin northward, and proceed southward: 1. Regia 6. Scamander 9. Phemonæ 4th. Suppose these Mansions to be divided into ten other parts by lines crossing the former at right angles, dividing each Region into one hundred Areas, each having 2° 15′ of latitude and 3° of longitude. These I shall distinguish by the properest consonants of our own alphabet, beginning at the west of every Region, and proceeding towards the east. They are as follow: The names of the Heavens, Regions, and Areas, are chiefly taken from the heathen mythology. I thought that these would be preferable to any other on account of their being obsolete, and therefore not liable to be confounded with other names or things. I would have taken Greek letters for the names of the Areas, but I thought this might rather confound my scheme with Mr. Bayer's method. By means of these divisions the whole heavens is divided into 8x 12 x 10 x 10 9600 parts or Areas, each of which may be distinguished from the rest as follows:thus, we may say the Area of B in the Mansion of Herse, in the Region of Latona, in the Heaven of Mentha. The Area of F, in the Mansion of Medea, in the Region of Latona, in the Northern Heaven, &c. &c. 5th. Let the six magnitudes of the fixed stars be designated by the six vowels A, E, I, O, U, Y, in the order in which they stand. By means of the initials of the names, &c., a name for every star may be formed, by placing them as follows: Place, 1st. The initial letter of the name of the Heaven in which any star is situated. 2nd, Next place the vowel representing the magnitude of the star. 3rd, Then the initial letter of the name of the Region in which it is. 4th, After this, place the initial of the name of the Mansion. 5th, Then place the vowel A, if but one star in the Area of that magnitude. 6th, And lastly place the letter of the Area, and this will in every case form a word, which I propose to be the name of the star; and when there are several stars of the same magnitude in one Area, the magnitude may be designated by the first vowel, and for the greatest star of that magnitude put the vowel A. In the second place, and for the star that is next in size, put E; and for that which is next to this, put I; and so on of the rest. its name is also given. Second, The name of any star being given, its place in the heavens, and its magnitude, are given: these may be exemplified by the preceding examples. The number of different names is abundantly sufficient for all the visible stars in the heavens, and many more. It is evident that the number of names formed by this combination must be expressed by 8 x 12 x 10 x 10 × 6 × 6— 345,600, but the number of visible stars is not more than 3000; hence, the assertion is evident. If any person, who has time and abilities, would undertake to classify all the stars that are visible to the naked eye in this part of the world, such a plan could not fail of being useful; and if any star happens to fall upon any of the division lines, it may with propriety be classed to that Area to which its latitude or longitude extends, but probably this may not many times occur. Any one may readily discover that, when the letters are combined in the way before laid down, they will make distinct words, as a vowel between two consonants must make a distinct syllable, and that this will be the case in every name is very plain to be seen; and I have taken such names for the Heavens, Regions, &c., as I judged would be the best for forming the names of the stars as elegantly as the case will allow. I will illustrate this doctrine by one example. Let the star be the Alpha of Virgo, otherwise denominated the Virgin's Spica-whose latitude is 2° 2′ 25′′ S. and longitude 21° 19′ 47′′ in. Now, it appears that this star is in the Heaven of Mentha; I therefore put down M; and since it is of the first magnitude, the next letter will be A, and now it stands M A: again, it is in the Region of Pandora, hence the next letter is P, which I place thus MAP: it also appears that it is situated in Perhaps one objection to this doctrine the first Mansion Regia, therefore R is the may be, that the names of the stars are next letter which I place thus, MAPR: words without meaning. To this I would now again I place A, because this is the answer, that the names found by this greatest star of the first magnitude in this method, will distinguish the stars as well as Area, according to the preceding rule, any other: and that such names as Maprap, which makes it stand MAPRA. The Area Gerral, &c. are equally as good as Algol, in which the star is situated is P, which I Markab, Menkar, &c. And if the names also put down, and it makes MAPRAP, have no meaning in them, the members of which is the name of the star and in case which they are composed have very useful there are several other stars of the same and instructive meanings, since they not magnitude in this Area, I call the next in only point out the magnitude of the star, size Maprep, and the next to this Maprip, but also its place in the heavens; or, on &c.; but if they differ in magnitude, such the contrary, as was before observed, its difference must be noted by the first vowel. place and magnitude being given, its name If we pursue the same course with the a in is readily known. This method may also the south scale of. lat. 0° 31′ N. long. be usefully applied in the making of celes(corrected to 1820) 12° 35′ in m, magni- tial maps, as the initial letters of the tude 2, its name will be Gerral. It Heavens and Mansions may be placed on must also be observed, that this sphere will the sides; those of the Regions and Areas, make a revolution on its axis in the course on the top and bottom; and the vowels of of 257483 years, in consequence of which the magnitude may be prefixed to the stars, 50" must be added to the longitude, for by which their names may be read as well every year after the epoch or point of time as if the whole name was written. for which they were arranged. The small variation of the ecliptic may also be corrected. Two very useful propositions occur from this doctrine. The first is, the place and magnitude of any star being given, 109.-VOL. X. It may be observed, that if the number of the Heavens had been greater, there would have been a greater diversity of beginnings of the names of the stars; which, in this respect, might have been of some F |