“Après plusieurs années de travail, Tchuen-Hio détermina qu’à l’avenir l’année commenceroit à la lune la plus proche du premier jour du printems [proche du solstice d’hiver] qui vient vers le 15° du _Verseau_; [vers le Siou Hiu] et comme il savoit par le calcul qu’il en avoit fait, que dans une des années de son règne les planettes devoient se joindre dans la constellation _Che_ (constellation qui occupe 17° dans le ciel, dont le milieu est vers le 6° des _Poissons_) il choisit cette année-là pour la première de son calendrier, d’autant plus que cette même année le soleil et la lune se trouvoient en conjonction, le premier jour du printems [le jour du solstice d’hiver].”[102] [102] Vol. I. p. 33. It may, of course, be objected to the proposed correction of the _season_ in this passage as follows: granting that either the star mark Hiu, or the _spring season_ said to have been chosen by Tchuen-Hio, must have been erroneously recorded in the _Histoire Générale_, the probabilities are equal as to which element in the statement is or is not true. Tchuen-Hio may have chosen the moon nearest to the first day of spring, and may have named some constellation other than Hiu near to which this first moon was in conjunction with the sun. The late Chinese historian, instead of tampering as above supposed with the recorded _season_, may have substituted the name of the star group Hiu, which at his date marked the beginning of spring, for that “other” chosen by Tchuen-Hio. But the probabilities on this point are in reality not equally balanced. For, in the first instance, we must take into consideration the very general opinion that the year in China anciently began at the winter solstice, and the fact that this season was in Tchuen-Hio’s time so accurately marked by the junction of the star groups Wei and Hiu (see diagram), and we must further take into consideration the many references to the star group Hiu in ancient Chinese literature, which connect it very specially with traditions concerning the Emperor Tchuen-Hio. Many passages in the works of the Père Gaubil are to be met with to this effect, as for instance where he thus quotes and comments on a statement in the Eul-ya. “On désigne _Hiuen-hiao_ par la Constellation Hui (_sic_); on appelle encore ce Signe _Tchouen-Hio_.” Gaubil adds, “Le Signe Hiuen-Hiao est celui que nous appelons Amphora. Le dictionnaire [Eul-ya] met dans ce Signe la Constellation _Hiu_; c’est-à-dire que le Signe commençoit par quelque degré de cette Constellation. L’Histoire Chinoise asseure que l’eau est le symbole du régne de Tchouen-Hiu (_sic_). L’Eul-ya dit formellement que Hiuen-hiao Signe Celeste du Zodiaque désigne l’Empereur _Tchouen-Hiu_ (_sic_).”[103] Schlegel also tells us that the Chinese placed the soul of Tchuen-Hio in the constellation Hiu. [103] _Observations Mathématiques, Astronomiques_, &c., redigées et publiées par le P. Étienne Souciet, tome iii. pp. 31-33.