Note 137 — V. HERE FOLLOWETH CONCERNING INDIA THE GREATER.

So Polo says that at Guzerat “the north star rose to the apparent height of six cubits”. This way of estimating celestial declinations appears to convey some distinct meaning to simple people, and even to some by no means illiterate Europeans. I remember once in India, when looking out for Venus, which was visible about two p.m., a native servant directed me to look “about one bamboo length from the moon;” and a young Englishman afterwards told me that he had seen it “about five feet from the moon.”