Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/209

Rh elements; hence it is, that while we find it impossible to decipher the manuscripts by using them, yet we find such frequent resemblances as to compel us to admit a fundamental relationship. This theory I think is borne out by his attempt at explaining their method of spelling, which does not correspond with anything to be found either in the Troano Manuscript or the Dresden Codex, nor with his previous statement, which I have quoted. Moreover, his own language, taken in connection with his alphabet, implies that the natives with whom he was consulting found it impossible to recombine the elements he had picked out so as to form words.

This I believe to be the true explanation of his letter characters and the only one that will enable us to understand why it is impossible to read the manuscripts by means of them, and yet finding them so often agreeing with the characters we meet with in these works.

The day-characters we know he found in their books, as we see abundant evidence of this in those yet in existence.

Although the month-characters appear to be wanting in the Troano Manuscript they are to be found repeatedly in the Dresden Codex, not always in the form given by Landa, yet substantially the same, and accompanied by numerals or other particulars by which we can readily determine them. We have, then, as our only positive guide to start with, in our attempts at deciphering the written characters of the Maya manuscripts, the day and month symbols, and with no assurance that these are phonetic.

If there are any phonetic elements in this writing they must be discovered with but little reliance on Landa's letter characters.

As it is extremely doubtful whether the day and month characters in all cases correspond with the modern names applied to them, we must bring every other possible test to bear in determining the meaning and corresponding word. We have also to proceed upon the assumption that the language of the Manuscript is the same as that found in the Maya lexicons which have been given to the world, when it is possible that it is in a dialect of the Maya varying from that in the lexicons.

As the safest basis on which to found my arguments, I select a few characters, the meaning of which, I think, can be ascertained with satisfactory certainty without having to decide whether they are phonetic or not.