396 LETTERS UNKNOWN IN AMERICA. 



LIB. vi. f rom the last poynt of Capricorne, which is the tropike 

 ~ neerest vnto them. I know not whether the one or the 

 other have observed any Bisexte, although some holde the 

 contrary. The weekes which the Mexicaines did reckon 

 were not properly weekes, being not of seaven dayes : the 

 Yncas likewise made no mention thereof, which is no 

 wonder, seeing the account of the weeke is not grounded 

 vpon the course of the sunne, as that of the yeare, nor of 

 the moone, as that of the month ; but among the Hebrewes 

 it is grounded vpon the creation of the world, as Moses re- 

 porteth; and amongest the Greekes and Latins vpon the 

 number of the seven planets, of whose names the dayes of 

 the weeke have taken their denomination; yet was it much 

 for those Indians, being men without bookes and learning, 

 to have a yeare, seasons, and feasts, so well appoynted as I 

 have sayd. 



CHAP. iv. That no nation of the Indies hath beene found to 

 have had the vse of letters. 



Letters were invented to signifie properly the words we 

 do pronounce, even as woordes (according to the Philoso 

 pher) are the signes and demonstrations of mans thoughtes 

 and conceptions. And both the one and the other (I say 

 the letters and words) were ordained to make things 

 knowne. The voyce for such as are present, and letters for 

 the absent, and such as are to come. Signes and markes 

 which are not properly to signifie wordes but things, can 

 not be called, neyther in trueth are they letters, although 

 they be written, for wee can not say that the Picture of the 

 sunne be a writing of the sunne, but onely a picture ; the 

 like may be saide of other signes and characters, which have 

 no resemblance to the thing, but serve onely for memorie : 

 for he that invented them did not ordaine them to signifie 



