i 
1898-99. | DECIPHERING HIEROGLYPHIC INSCRIPTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA. 125 
in U1r4, and dol/on, in a secondary position, occurs in D5. This 
prominence of do/on at Palenque suggests the name of the city, especi- 
ally as there is a place called Bolonchen, or the nine wells, in Yucatan, 
phraseology similar to the Beersheba or seven wells. in Southern 
Palestine. Can the Tau in the oval be chez, a well? If it is, then C 9 
is oxlahun chen. But orlahun is found in F 15, with 7 or wuc, and 
another cartouche, on the top of R 2, over a similar cartouche, and 
after six or wac, in U1,in V 7 before an animal’s head, in S 10, in T 12 
before ahau, in W 14 before a woman’s back, in the following X 14 
before a symbol not unlike that which follows it in U 1, and in V 17 
before a circular figure like that in S 10. Now if all of these denote 
one thing, place, or person, what is the value of the symbols immediately 
following the orlahun. If the animal be a dog, as is most likely, the 
value isfek,adog. To this agrees the woman’s back, for pach is the back 
of the shoulders. Also dak means “to tie with cords,’ and pak denotes 
“a stone wall, and to found, build, plant or sow.” The character after 
oxlahun in U 1 isa corded bundle, and the inscribed oval in S 10 and 
V 17 may, from the analogy of the Chinese, denote cultivated ground. 
The group thus selected may be read orlahun pek, or “thirteen dogs,” 
than which nothing could seem more ridiculous. 
A knowledge of history comes to the relief of the epigrapher, and saves 
his work from scorn. There was an ahkau, or king, and a very powerful 
one too, whose name was Thirteen Dogs. He was not a Maya king nor 
a Tzendal, nor even a Quiche ; he was king of the Cachiquels of Guate- 
mala, but seems to have held the Quiches and Mayas also in subjection. 
His name in Cachiquel is Oxlahuh-Tzy, which, being translated into 
Maya, gives Oxlahun-Pek. He and Cablahuh-Tihax, or Twelve Flint 
Knives, were colleagues in royalty over the Cachiquels, having succeeded 
to the dignity of Huntoh and Wukubatz. Cablahuh was the grandson 
of Huntoh,.and Oxlahuh, the son of Wukubatz.’ In Maya cablahuh is 
Lahca, and ¢ifax is tok. In E 10, Lahca is over a very commonly 
recurring oval, which might at first sight be taken to represent the 
night sky, but which may possibly be explained by ox, to pour out, 
distribute, divide. In L 7, Lahca precedes wavrac or 8; but in D 13, it ts 
once more over the same figure as in E to. It is somewhat obscure in 
V5. Immediately above Oxrlahun-Pek, hun ahau ahauob of C and D 9, 
are C and D 8. The first, C 8, consists of or, 3, ca, 2, and a covering, 
which in Maya is duc, thus making Oxcabuc, which is the nearest thing 
the Maya can come to Wukubatz. In D 8, appear uz, one, and co, a 
tooth, giving Hunco instead of the Cachiquel Huntoh, the name of 
Wukubatz’ colleague. These two groups never appear again. 
