THOMAS) COPAN INSCRIPTION—-ALTAR K 785 
By reference to his comment on the ahaus of this inscription, as 
quoted above, it will be seen that he uses the coils and other parts of 
the attached and accompanying glyphs as multipliers, assigning values 
to them that bring out the desired number. It is unnecessary to fol- 
low his process, as it is given fully in the quotation. But all this is 
presented without proof that the values assigned are correct, or, in 
fact, that the characters are number symbols. Until evidence render- 
ing such interpretation at least probable is presented, it is nothing 
more than a guess. However, it must not be taken for granted that I 
reject all these symbols und appendages as not indicating numbers, as 
two or three already noticed (besides face characters) appear from 
satisfactory evidence to have been used as numerals; and it will be seen 
farther on that there are reasons for believing there are some append- 
ages which are also thus used. The point made above is that Mr 
Goodman fails to present reasons for his assertions in this respect, 
which necessitates going over the entire record to verify or disprove 
them. 
That the symbols in this inscription which Mr Goodman designates 
by the name ‘‘ahau” are to be counted as equivalent to 360 days each 
must be admitted, but the name ahau, it must be remembered, is, as 
applied here, merely an arbitrary designation, and its use is wholly 
different from that made of it by the natives, so far as the preserved 
records show. 
ALTAR K 
The inscription on Altar K contains nothing recognizable save a 
portion of the initial series which is given by Mr Goodman as follows: 
54-9-12-16-7-8—3 Lamat 16 Yax, or fifty-fourth great cycle, 9 cycles, 
12 katuns, 16 ahaus, 7 chuens, 8 days. As no photograph is given by 
Maudslay, we have no means of testing his drawing (plate 73, part 3). 
The prefixed numerals in this case are the usual dots or balls and short 
lines, but are not sufficiently distinct to verify Goodman’s interpreta- 
tion; in fact, the number prefixed to the chuen symbol looks more like 
10 than 7—is 10 if Maudslay’s drawing be accepted—and the day glyph 
is wholly obliterated. The series and date as given by him are there- 
fore largely conjectural, the latter having evidently been obtained by 
calculation according to his system, and not from an inspection of the 
inscription. 

STELA M 
The initial series on Stela M,as given by Goodman, is 54-9-16-5- 
18-20—8 Ahau 8 Zotz, or, changing the 18 and 20 to 0, as we have 
found to be correct, the fifty-fourth great cycle, 9 cycles, 16 katuns, 5 
ahaus, 0 chuens, 0 days, to 8 Ahau 8 Zotz. The prefixed numerals in 
this series are of the usual form, balls and short lines, and agree with 
Goodman’s interpretation. 
IME) Tone 1241! IS) 
