imagine them to be caused by great dragons trying to
devour the sun and moon, and beat drums and brass kettles to make
the monsters give up their prey. Some of the tribes of American
Indians speak of the moon as hunted by huge dogs, catching and
tearing her till her soft light is reddened and put out by the blood
flowing from her wounds. To this day in India the native beats his
gong, as the moon passes across the sun's face, and it is not so very
long ago that in Europe both eclipses and rushing comets were
thought to show that troubles were near." [289] Respecting China, a
modern traveller speaks in not very complimentary language. "If
there is on the earth a nation absorbed by the affairs of this world
and who trouble themselves little about what passes among the
heavenly bodies, it is assuredly the Chinese. The most erudite
among them just know of the existence of astronomy, or, as they
call it, _tienwen_--'celestial literature.' But they are ignorant of the
simplest principles of the science, and those who regard an eclipse
as a natural phenomenon, instead of a dragon who is seeking to
devour the sun and moon, are enlightened indeed." [290] This
statement ought to be taken with more than one _granum salis_,
especially as Mrs. Somerville assures us that the Chinese had made
advances in the science of astronomy 1,100 years before the
Christian era, and also adds: "Their whole chronology is founded on
the observation of eclipses, which prove the existence of that empire
for more than 4,700 years." [291] With this discount the charge
against Chinese ignorance may be passed. "A Mongolian myth
makes out that the gods determined to punish Arakho for his
misdeeds, but he hid so effectually that no one could find out his
lurking-place. They therefore asked the _sun_, who gave an
unsatisfactory answer; but when they asked the _moon_, she
disclosed his whereabouts. So Arakho was dragged forth and
chastised; in revenge of which he _pursues both sun and moon_,
and whenever he comes to hand-grips with one of them, _an eclipse
occurs_. To help the lights of heaven in their sad plight, a
_tremendous uproar_ is made with musical and other instruments,
till Arakho is scared away." [292] "Referring to the Shoo, Pt. III.,
Bk. IV., parag. 4, we find this sentence: 'On the first day of the last
month of autumn the sun and moon did not meet harmoniously in
Fang.'" [293] In less euphemistic phrase, the sun and moon were
_crossed_.

Dr.