Page:A Study of the Manuscript Troano.djvu/78

34 have positive evidence, if to be relied on, that this Ahau at least commenced with a Cauac year (whether the Ahau contained 24 or 20 years), and, if so, all the others of the series.

A somewhat careful examination of Senor Perez's Cronologia Antigua satisfies me that his whole scheme was based upon what he believed to be two established facts: first, that the Ahaues commenced with a Cauac year; and, second, that they were numbered from the second day of these years.

I am pretty well satisfied from some things observable in the Manuscript Troano that it recognizes Cauac as the dominical day of the first year of the Ahaues.

First. The order of the four plates XX-XXIII, which refer exclusively to the four dominical days. That Brasseur has paged these plates in exactly the reverse order to what they should be, I think is evident from the following facts: As now paged they bring these days in the following order: Ix, Muluc, Kan, Cauac, exactly the reverse of that in which they come in the calendar. This alone is sufficient to cause us to suspect a reversal. But it is not the only reason for believing this. If we follow the order of the plates in marking the years, we obtain no continuous period, as is evident from the annexed Table XIII.

Second. The numeral (1), over the second Cauac character on Plate XXIII (our Plate IV) and also that over the fifth Muluc character on Plate XXI (our Plate II) is surrounded in each case with a circle of minute dots. Although there are other numeral characters on these four plates denoting one, none except these two are thus distinguished. What is this intended to signify? My answer is, it signifies that those two years are the first of important periods that are included in, or at least begin in, the time embraced by these four plates. Now let us test this by giving two tables embracing the period covered by them, marking the Ahaues on one according to the plan I have given, and on the other according to Señor Perez's method.

Table XIV commences with a Cauac year, and is of the usual form, as heretofore given. Table XV begins with a Kan year, and is made in