Page:A Glimpse at Guatemala.pdf/402

264 "The next glyph B 1 is the Cycle sign with the numeral 9 in front of it (one bar = 5 and four dots = 4).

"A 2 is the Katun sign with the numeral 12 in front of it (two bars = 10, and two dots = 2; the hollow curve between the two round dots is merely used to fill up the space, and does not count).

"B 2 is the Ahau sign with the numeral 2.

"Turning to the tables of Mr. Goodman's Chronological Calendar, of which an extract showing the 10th to the 14th Katuns of the 9th Cycle is given on page 265, we find that the first day of the—

falls on the day 2 Ahau, the 18th day of the month Xul (which is underlined in the table).

"This is as far as the Chronological Calendar can guide us. We have next to find the position of this date in the Annual Calendar. The date can only occur once in the fifty-two years which constitute a calendar round, and an examination of the tables shows that it falls in the first year of the annual calendar (see page 266, where it is marked with a square).

"The next glyph in the inscription, A 3, is the Chuen sign with the sign which signifies a 'full count' of Chuens, in front of it. As a full count of Chuens is 18 and equals 1 Ahau, and as the number of Ahaus has already been recorded, the glyph A 3 means that no odd Chuens are to be added to the date already expressed.

"The glyph B 3 is the sign for a day (of twenty-four hours) preceded by the numeral 16.

"Turning to the first year of the annual calendar, we now add these 16 days to 2 Ahau 18 Xul, the date already arrived at, and it will be found to bring us to 5 Cib 14 Yaxkin (marked with a circle).

"That this reckoning is correct is shown by the inscription itself, where the result is expressed: A 4 being 5 Cib, and B 7 14 Yaxkin. The six glyphs in the inscription intermediate between the sign of the day Cib, and the sign of the month Yaxkin, have not yet been thoroughly deciphered, but there is reason to suppose that they contain a parallel reckoning differently expressed.

"The next three glyphs are undeciphered; then comes another reckoning:—

"C 1 is the Chuen sign with the numeral 10 (two bars = 10) above it, and a 'full count' sign at the side. Whether the 10 applies to the Chuens or days can only be determined by experiment, and such experiment in this