Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/155

Rh sometimes with and sometimes without dots over it. Over the Ix column—Plate XX—there are two of these characters, the upper with three dots over it, the other with one. In the upper edge of the upper space of the same plate there is another without any dots over it. Those over the Muluc column—Plate XXI—are too thoroughly obliterated to be made out, but in the upper space of this plate we see a very distinct one with two dots over it. There are none over the Kan column of Plate XXII, but in the upper space there appears to be one, though too badly defaced to be made out with certainty. There is one over the Cauac column—Plate XXIII—with one dot over it, and in the upper space another, with two dots over it, above which is another in black, but reversed, and without dots. On the title page there are two lines of somewhat similar figures, but presenting some differences, which render it doubtful whether they have the same signification as those on the four plates.

There can be but little doubt that these characters are used here to denote certain periods of time. But what periods is a question I have so far been unable to answer satisfactorily. I will therefore postpone the discussion of this point to a subsequent page.

In the broad line separating the two divisions of each plate we observe certain square characters, some of which are readily recognized as day symbols. Those on Plate XXIII reading from left to right are—first, Ezanab; second, Akbal; third, the character which Brasseur says stands for M, and fourth, possibly a variant of Lamat. On Plate XXII, reading in the same direction—Lamat(?), M(?), Ezanab, and Akbal; on Plate XXI, Ezanab, possibly a variant of Been, Akbal, Lamat, and (?); on Plate XX, Been, Akbal, M(?), Ezanab, and Lamat. Two only in each line can be determined with any degree of certainty. These days are the closing ones of the different years, and are very appropriate in this place, and bear the same relation to these plates as those in the columns of the Codex do to those plates. Their position here also confirms the view I have heretofore incidentally advanced, that the upper division of these plates relates chiefly to the closing days of one year and the lower to the commencement of the following. The character which I have denoted by the letter M is the same as that which I have interpreted as designating "the north," except that it is without the prefix.