THOMAS.] NUMERAL CHARACTER OF THE CODEX. 269 



" Or, if we enumerate the numbers on the back from right to left, so 

 that the back of each leaf stands beneath its front: 



6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 | 25, 26, 27, 28, 0, 0, 0. 

 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29124, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18. 

 •' (2) The enlarged Codex £ (%0 leaves) : 

 Front: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60. 

 Back: 0, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45. 

 " Or, reversing, as in the preceding case, the numbers on the back: 

 1. 3, 3, 4, 5146, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60. 

 45, 44, 43, 43, 41 1 74, 73, 73, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 0." 



( )ne of the most difficult things to account for in regard to this 

 codex is the immense number of numeral characters it contains, many 

 of which appear to have no reference to day or other time symbols. 



Although it is not claimed that the key which will fully unlock 

 this mystery has been found, it is believed that the discoveries made 

 will throw considerable light on this difficult subject and limit the 

 field of investigation relating to the signification of the Maya codices. 



Before proceeding with the discussion of the subject projiosed, it 

 will not be amiss to state, for the benefit of those readers not familial- 

 with these ancient American manuscripts, that the Maya method of 

 designating numbers was by means of dots and lines, thus : . (one dot) 

 signifying one ; . . (two dots) two, and so on up to four ; five was 

 indicated by a single short straight line, thus, — ; ten, by two similar 

 lines, ;= ; and fifteen, by three such lines: ^. 



According to this system, a straight line and a dot, thus, — , would 

 denote 6; two straight lines and two dots,^, 13; and three straight 

 lines and four dots, '^=, 19. But these symbols do not appear to 

 have been used for any greater number than nineteen. They are 

 found of two colors in all the Maya codices, one class black, the other 

 red, though the latter (except in a few iustaiici's. where the reason 

 for the variation from the rule is not app.-iiviit ) are never iised to 

 denote a greater number than thirteen, and n-U-v cliiefly to the num- 

 bers of the days of the Maya week and the numbers of the years of 

 the "Indication" or "week of yeai's." On the other hand, the 

 black numerals appear to be used in all other casis where numbers 

 not exceeding nineteen are introduced. As will appear in the course 

 of this discussion, there are satisfactory reasmi.s for lii'lie\'ing that 

 other symbols, quite different from these dots and lines, are used for 

 certain other numbers, at least for 20 and for 0. 



In order that the reader may understand what follows, it is necessary 

 to explain the methods of counting the days, months, and years in the 

 order in which tliey succeed one another. Much relating to this will 

 be found in a previous work,' but a particular point needs further 

 explanation. 



'A Study of the Maiiuscrij)t Troano, by Cyi-us Tliomas. pp 



