[2] Pinnula.  The French pinnule is properly a sight-vane at the end of
    a traversing bar.  The transverse lines imply that minutes were read
    by the system of our diagonal scales; and these I understand to have
    been subdivided still further by aid of a divided edge attached to the
    sight-vane; qu. a Vernier?

[3] Verbiest himself speaks of the displaced instruments thus ... “ut nova
    instrumenta astronomica facienda mihi imponeret, quae scilicet more
    Europaeo affabre facta, et in specula Astroptica Pekinensi collocata,
    aeternam Imperii Tartarici memoriam apud posteritatem servarent,
    prioribus instrumentis Sinicis rudioris Minervae, quae jam a
    trecentis proxime annis speculam occupabant, inde amotis. 
    Imperator statim annuit illorum postulatis. et totius rei curam,
    publico diplomate mihi imposuit.  Ego itaque intra quadriennis spatium
    sex diversi generis instrumenta confeci.”  This is from an account of
    the Observatory written by Verbiest himself, and printed at Peking in
    1668 (Liber Organicus Astronomiae Europaeae apud Sinas Restitutae,
    etc.).  My friend Mr. D. Hanbury made the extract from a copy of this
    rare book in the London Institution Library.  An enlarged edition was
    published in Europe. (Dillingen, 1687.)

[4] On the contrary, he considered the photographs interesting, as showing
    to how late a period the art of fine casting had endured.

[5] This ancient instrument is probably the same that is engraved in
    Pauthier’s Chine Ancienne under the title of “The Sphere of the
    Emperor Shun” (B.C. 2255!).

[6] After the death of Kublai astronomy fell into neglect, and when
    Hongwu, the first Ming sovereign, took the throne (1368) the subject
    was almost forgotten.  Nor was there any revival till the time of
    Ching.  The latter was a prince who in 1573 associated himself with the
    astronomer Hing-yun-lu to reform the state of astronomy. (Gaubil.)

    What Ricci has recorded (in Trigautius) of the dense ignorance of the
    Chinese literati in astronomical matters is entirely consistent with
    the preceding statements.

[7] I had entirely forgotten to look at Trigault till Mr. Wylie sent me
    the extract.  The copy I use (De Christiana Expeditione apud Sinas ... 
    Auct.  Nicolao Trigautio) is of Lugdun. 1616.  The first edition was
    published at August.  Vindelicorum (Augsburg) in 1615:  the French, at
    Lyons, in 1616.

[8] “Pinnulis.”

[9] “Et stilus eo modo quo in horologiis ad perpendiculum collocatus.”