222 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 28 



those versions of it Avliich ^\^nv used in earlier times, as well as down 

 to the present day, b}^ the [)riests who were sent to the Indian villages 

 to instruct the natives and take charge of their sj^iritual welfare. I 

 found an exact agreement between the representations on our frag- 

 ment and the text of a Catecismo en Idioma Mixteco, printed in 

 1839 at Puebla. The numerals given on the fragment at once made 

 it plain to me that the fourteen articles of faith of the Roman cate- 

 chism, and, lower down, the ten com.mandments are here represented. 

 I will talve the catechism printed in 1839 as my starting point, and 

 will give in each successive section, first, the paragraph from the 

 catechism and then the description of the picture which explains it. 



The first row liegins at the left: Section 1. Los articulos de la Fe 

 son catorce ("There are fourteen articles of faith""). The picture 

 shows us first a page covered with writing and a hand which points 

 to it. This means article. Then comes a cross on a l^ase formed by a 

 series of steps; this means faith. Then comes the numeral 14, ar- 

 ranged in the usual way in groups of five. Section 2. Los siete per- 

 tenecen a la divinidad ("Seven appertain to the deity"). The pic- 

 ture gives us first the numei-al 7 and then a bearded (Spanish) face, 

 and over it a drawing, apparently meant to represent a halo, consist- 

 ing of a metal disk, in the center of which and at regulay distances 

 in the periphery there are perforations. This is the hieroglyph regu- 

 larl}^ used throughout to denote God.. Section 3. Y los otros siete 

 [pertenecen] a la santa humanidad de nuestro Senor Jesucristo 

 (" And the other seven [appertain] to the holy humanity of our Lord 

 Jesus Christ"). The picture gives first the numeral 7. Then, on a 

 base, cross, spear, and the sponge soaked in vinegar and fastened to a 

 reed, Avhich means the crucified, the God-man. Section 4. Los [siete 

 articulos] que pertenecen a la divinidad son estos (" Those [seven 

 articles] which appertain to the deity are these "). The picture gives 

 first the numeral 7, then (he hieroglyph for " article " (see section 1), 

 then the picture of God (see section 2), only there is a flowing gar- 

 ment indicated here below the head. Section 5. El primero | arti- 

 culo] creer en un solo Dios Todospoderoso ("The first [article], to 

 believe in one Omnipotent God "). The picture gi^^es the numeral 1, 

 the hieroglyph " article ", and the picture of God. With the hiero- 

 glyph " article " is combined a figure which is difficult to interpret. 

 Possibly it is meant to lepresent the One over all things, the 

 Almighty. Section 6. El segundo [articulo], creer que es Dios Padre 

 ("The second [article], to believe that He is God, the Father"). 

 The picture is jjartly destroyed. The numeral 2 must have stood at 

 the top. Then follows the hieroglyph " article ", and the picture of 

 God as He was represented in section 4, but here He has tAvo arms. 

 The left hand holds the imperial globe. In the right He probably 



