Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/266

200 point. In doing so we may profit by the facts learned in reference to the Manuscript Troano on this subject, and the method of comparing characters used by Professor Holden in his "Studies in Central American Picture Writing."

Referring to the Palenquean group as shown in Plate IX, we observe that the first seven characters of the two columns immediately below the large initial are united so that each forms one compound character. If read in columns the natural inference from this would be that the remaining characters of these two columns are to be read by twos, thus: A 10 and B 10 (Dr. Rau's scheme), then A 11 and B 11, next A 12 and B 12, and so on to the bottom. If this supposition be correct, then it is more than likely that the remaining columns on the side tablets are to be read in the same way, a view favored by the fact that each one of these tablets contains six columns.

I call attention now to characters D 13, C 14, and D 14, which are often repeated in the inscription, varying only in the numerals—dots, or balls, and fines placed at the top and left side. If we represent these characters by letters thus: D 13 by a, C 14 by b, and D 14 by c, we have here this order

Referring now to E 5, F 5, and E 6, we find the same three characters following each other in the same order, but placed thus: and, what is significant, if we include the next, F 6, we have the right portion of the first four (of the seven) double characters, but the order is reversed. At F 15, E 16, and F 16 we again have our three characters a, b, c. In the single column R we see a and b. At S 6 and T 6 we have the three, but here b and c are united in one compound character. At S 12 and T 12 we see a and b; at U 3, V 3, and U 4; also at U 8, V 8, and U 9; also V 13, U 14, and V 14; at W 1, X 1, and W 2, and at X 11, W 12, and X 12, we find the same three characters following each other in the same order. We shall hunt in vain for any such combination of these characters between the second and third or fourth and fifth columns of either slab, nor can we find the three following each other in any column or line except in the four double characters.