1885.1 Z\J1 [Brinton. 



The hah, or fathom, was one of the units of land measure, and 

 the corn fields and cacao plantations were surveyed and laid out 

 with ropes, gam, marked off in fathoms. The fields are described 

 as of five ropes, ten ropes, etc., but I have not found how many 

 fathoms each rope contained. 



Another unit of land measure in frequent use was the makoh. 

 This was the circumference of the human figure. A man stood 

 erect, his feet together, and both arms extended. The end of a 

 rope was placed under his feet and its slack passed over one 

 hand, then on top of his head, then over the other hand, and 

 finally brought to touch the beginning. This gives somewhat 

 less tban three times the height. This singular unit is described 

 by both Yarea and Goto as in common use by the natives. 



There were no accurate measures of long distances. As among 

 the Mayas, journeys were counted by resting places, called in 

 Cakchiquel uxlanibal, literally " breathing places," from uxla, 

 the breath, itself a derivative of the radical ux, to exist, to be, to 

 live, the breath being taken as the most evident sign of life. 



There was orignally no word in Cakchiquel meaning " to 

 weigh," as in a balance, and therefore they adopted the Spanish 

 peso, as tin pesoih^ I weigh. Nor, although the^^ constructed 

 stone walls of considerable height, did they have any knowledge 

 of the plumb line or plummet. The name they gave it even 

 shows tiiat they had no idea what its use was, as they called it 

 " the piece of metal for fastening together," supposing it to be 

 an aid in cementing the stone work, rather than in adjusting its 

 lines (Goto, s. v. Ploma de albanil). 



The Aztecs. 



In turning to the Mexicans or Aztecs, some interesting prob- 

 lems present themselves. As far as I can judge by the Xahuatl 

 language, measures drawn from the upper extremity were of 

 secondary importance, and were not the bases of their metrical 

 standards, and, as 1 shall show, this is borne out b}' a series of 

 proofs from other directions. 



The fingers, mapilli, appear to have been customary measures. 

 They are mentioned in the early writers as one equal to an inch. 

 The name viapilli, is a synthesis ofmaitl, hand, and pilli, child, 

 offspring, addition, etc. 



PUOC. AMEK. PHILOS. SOC. XXII. 118. Z. PRINTED MARCH 14, 1885. 



