Atlantis. 207 



In every 52 years, thirteen days were intercalated, wliich is the same 

 in effect as the addition in the Julian calendar of 1 day every four years, 

 and consequently fixes the length of the year at 365 days 6 hours. 



The Persians intercalated 30 days in every 120 years ; hut the 

 Chaldeans, Romans, and also the Syrians, who added one day every four 

 years, all appear to have derived their solar year of 365 days 6 hours 

 from the Egyptians. This analogy led M. Jouard to suppose the 

 Mexicans also borrowed theii- measure from the Egyptians, or that 

 both had a common origin. The same writer also shows that the sign 

 of the " balance" existed in the Egyptian Zodiac long previous to the 

 Roman conquest, and that the same sign is found among the sculp- 

 tured antiquities at Elephanta, and also in the "lunar houses" of the 

 Peruvians ; and also mentions what he considers a significient fact, 

 that Cipactli, the first sign of the days in the Mexican calendar cor- 

 responds with Capricorn the first sign of the Zodiac in the Egyptian 

 designation. 



R. G. Haliburton also finds from an exhaustive inquir}^ into the lit- 

 erature and traditions of primitive nations that there existed a com- 

 mon and universal system of chronology based upon the Pleiades — the 

 year beginning on that night when the Pleiades are " above" or " are 

 more distinct," that is to say : when they cross the mei'idian at mid- 

 night. The traces of this ancient knowledge, he finds in the various 

 festivals and periodic customs of ancient peoples. 



Among the Egyptians, the festival of Isia bore a singular resemblance 

 to that of the cycle among the Mexicans. According to the Egyptian 

 belief, when the sun descended toward Capricorn and the days grj\du- 

 ally diminished they feared it was about to leave them forever, where- 

 upon they put on mourning and the appearance of sadness. When the 

 great luminary began to mount higher toward the zenith and the days 

 were lengthened, they put on white robes and flowers amid great rejoic- 

 ing. The Mexican festival took place on the five unassigned days of the 

 year preceding the thirteen intercalary days during which they put 

 on the appearance of deepest distress and fear. All household vessels 

 and precious articles were broken, fires were extinguished, and the entire 

 population gave themselves up to lamentation as if the end of the 

 world were at hand. In the evening of the last day began the Festival 

 of the New Fire. The priests followed by immense crowds ascended a 

 sacred mountain, and there, when the Pleiades mounted to the zenith, 

 the sacred fire was kindled in the pile whereon a human victim lay. 

 As the flames ascended, joyful acclamations rent the air, repeated far 

 and wide by watchers on housetops and teocallis, and the new fire was 

 distributed from temple to temple by fleet messengers and thence to 



