50 , ABORIGINAL WRITING IN MEXICO. ETC. 



evolves a diversity of methods."* On a subsequent page Wuttke explains 

 himself more definitely concerning the origin of the alphabet presented by 

 Landa. After the conquest, he thinks, the Indians had selected from among 

 their characters {aus ihrem Scliriftvorrathe) a certain number, which they 

 employed instead of letters when they wanted to write in their own language. 

 "The Yuca tec ali^habet hardly can have sprung from a Maya root. The influ- 

 ence of the Spanish alphabet on the natives caused its origin."! H^ ^'^^s 

 admits that the Mayas had characters of their own at the time of the Spanish 

 invasion, but he regards their application as phonetic signs as a consequence of 

 their intercourse Avith the conquerors. 



Dr. Valentini, in his lecture on the Mexican calendar-stone, expresses 

 himself even with greater assurance than AVuttke : — " This Yucatan alphabet," 

 he says, " is nothing more than an attempt by a missionary bishop, Diego de 

 Landa, to teach the natives their own language phonetically, in our manner, but 

 with their own symbols. I will not follow this subject further, but I am willing 

 to give more detailed explanations hereafter if it is desirable." These explana- 

 tions are, indeed, very desirable, and it is hoped that Dr. Valentini will soon 

 impart the benefit of his experience. 



The early Spanish authors sometimes refer to books which they saw among 

 the natives of those parts, and also to the methods employed by them for 

 expressing their ideas by signs. Las Casas, the venerable bishop of Chiapas, in 

 particular, dilates on that subject in his " Historia Apologetica des las Indias 

 Occidentales." His long sojourn in the new world, especially in jjarts to which 

 the Spaniards had not yet penetrated, afforded him unusual facilities for becom- 

 ing acquainted with the details of Indian life. "In all the republics of these 

 countries," he says, "in the kingdoms of New Spain, and elsewhere, there were 

 persons who performed the duties of chroniclers and historians. They had 

 knowledge of the origin of the religion and of all matters pertaining to it ; of the 

 gods and their worship, and no less of the founders of towns and cities. They 

 knew the beginnings of the kings and persons of rank and of their dominions ; 

 the modes of their election and succession ; the number and qualities of former 

 princes ; their works and memorable actions, good and bad ; whether they had 

 well or badly ruled, etc. . . . These chroniclers kept the reckoning of the 

 days, months and years. Though their writing was not like ours, they had, 

 nevertheless, their figures and characters, by means of which they understood all 

 they wanted, and thus they had their large books, composed with such ingenious 

 and skillful art that we might say our letters had not been of any great use to 

 them {que podriamos decir que nuestras letras no les hicieron mucha ventaja). Our 



* "Wuttke: Die Entstehung der Schrift, etc., S. 205. 

 t Ibid., pp. 237 and 238. 



