ck Persons; also concerning
the fate of Children born, about which the Parents do presently consult
them, and save their Children or kill them according to the fortunate
or unfortunate hour they tell the Parents they were born in.

When a Person is Sick, he carries to the men his Nativity, which
they call Hanna hom pot, upon the perusal of which they tell his
destiny. These also direct fit times for beginning Journeys, or other
undertakings. They are likewise consulted concerning Marriages by
looking upon the Man and Womans Nativity.

[Their AEra, Their Years, Months, Weeks, Days, Hours.] They reckon
their Time from one Saccawarsi an ancient King. Their year consists
of 365 days, They begin their year upon our Eight and twentieth
day of March, and sometimes the Seven and twentieth, and sometimes,
but very seldom, on the Nine and twentieth. The reason of which I
conceive to be, to keep it equal to the course of the Sun, as our Leap
year doth. They call the year Ouredah. This they divide in to Twelve
Months, named, Wasachmaha, Pomaha, Ahalamoha, Micheneha, Bochmoha,
&c. They divide their Months into Weeks, each consisting of seven
days, called Fridah, Sandudah, Onghorudah, Bodadah, Braspotindah,
Secouradah, Henouradah. The first of which they account a good and
a fortunate day to begin to do or undertake any thing: and it falls
out upon our Sunday. On their Wednesdays, and Saturdays they open
their Churches, and perform their Ceremonies. Their day, which they
call Dausack, they divide into Thirty Pays, hours or parts, and begin
their account from the Sun rising, and their Night also into as many,
and begin from Sun-setting: So that the Fifteenth Pay is Twelve a
Clock at Noon. They have a Flower by which they judge of the time,
which constantly blows open seven Pays before Night.

[How they measure their time.] They have no Clocks, Hour-glasses,
or Sun-Dials, but keep their time by guess. The King indeed hath a
kind of Instrument to measure time. It is a Copper Dish holding about
a Pint, with a very small hole in the bottom. This Dish they set
a swimming in an Earthen Pot of water, the water leaking in at the
bottom till the Dish be full, it sinks. And then they take it out,
and set it empty on the water again, and that makes one Pay. Few or
none use this but the King, who keeps a man on purpose to watch it
continually. The People will use it upon some occasions, as if they
are to sow their Corn at any particular hour,