124 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. VI. 
read hun ahau ahauob, “one king of kings.” As ob probably comes 
from yaab, meaning “much, abundant,” any subscribed number might 
denote plurality. Now, hieroglyphics may be syllabic, like the Hittite 
and Aztec, the syllables being the first in the name of the object they 
indicate, or alphabetic, syllabic, and ideographic, like the Egyptian, or 
purely ideographic like the Chinese. The presumption established by 
hun ahau ahauob was that the Maya system, like the Chinese, is purely 
ideographic ; and that, if the student can tell what the symbols stand 
for, and has a knowledge of the Maya phonetic equivalents, he is in a 
position to read any Maya document. Of course there arises the 
awkward question, Is this Maya? May it not have been the work of 
those who spoke Chiapanec, Tzendal, Quiche, or Cachiquel? Palenque 
is close to Yucatan, and the people who dwell there now speak Maya, 
so that the method of science says, Begin with Maya; but common 
sense adds, Do not necessarily end there, if it furnishes defective 
results. 
With a very slight change, Dr. Rau’s index diagram of the tablet of 
Palenque may be found useful for reference. 
KOR CxD Beh oGehae Ken M N 9PQ 
a 
EI 2 ae 
is 
4 ! 
S 
6 3) 
a 4 
an 
6 
ame aes 
200 Cz 9 
pas 10 
a ica 7 iat 
Sau 8 i 
ee ale : 4 
—_ ! 15 
Bele 
The “one king of kings,” or uz ahau ahauob, is D9. His name should 
be near at hand, either before or after. To the left at C9, are the 
symbols for 13, and a Tau in an oval. To the right at E 9, are those 
for 9, and the same a little varied. Thirteen in Maya is orlahun, and 9 
is bolon. The dolon hieroglyphic reappears in E 1, in F 12, in G, and, 
with a different adjunct, dolon is in U 2,5 12, and on the pedestal of 
the smaller human figure on the left. Also, nineteen, or do/on-lahun, is 
