219 



of America, ever since the days of Columbus, may be considered as defi- 

 nitely settled. 



Notwithstanding that the chronological system of the Mayas and the 

 concordance of their dates with our Christian era are but imperfectly 

 understood, the learned bishop, in a subsequent letter, informs me that he 

 has other grounds for his assertion and absolute conviction that the epi- 

 demic of black vomit, referred to in the "Tzimin" manuscript, is the same 

 that we find recorded in the "Chumayel" under the date of 1648. He 

 writes: "Although the quotation from the "Tzimin" manuscript does not 

 contain the date (expressed in years of the Christian era), it fortunately 

 happens that the book commences its chronological notes with the year 

 "1593", so written, in the hand of the Indian author and with the same 

 figures that we now use (folio 1, line 2.) If we follow the text, page after 

 page, and without omiting a single word, it is observed that no invasion 

 of "vomiting of blood" is recorded until folio 17 is reached; here the 

 author for the first time mentions such an invasion, adverting that it was 

 the fourth that had occurred. Now, as it is a proven fact that after the year 

 3593, and even since the discovery of Yucatan in 1517, no epidemic of 

 black vomit had occurred until 1648, to this same year must correspond 

 that fourth epidemic mentioned in the ' ' Tzimin ' ' manuscript, and the three 

 previous ones must have taken place before the year 1593, at which that 

 chronological record begins. 



If the "Tzimin" text does allude to "black vomit" or yellow fever, 

 before the invasion which the author qualifies as the fourth, he does so not 

 in a historical sense, but as a calamity to be dreaded in evil times. It 

 must be remembered that these "Chilarn belam books" are calendars which 

 not only contain chronological and historical notes, but also predictions 

 that in a prophetic style had been made in their ancient times. This one, 

 for instance, is a literal translation from the same "Tzimin" manuscript: 

 "At the end of the 2d ahau. . . it will happen that the people will have to 

 seek laboriously for food as far as the shores of the sea, eating the young 

 leaves of plants, and with the setting of the katun, days will come when 

 great vomiting of blood will afflict the people, and all joy will cease ; then, 

 in order to find food', it will be necessary to solve enigmas that will be 

 proposed; and after those troubles are passed, after the katun, days of 

 consolation will come. ' ' 



"The fact that the Indians introduced in their prognostics of evil 

 days the threat of "vomiting of blood" is another proof that the disease 

 had been well known to them since a long time, and precisely under its 

 epidemic form, not as the endemic that it has now become." 



