SELEK] VENUS PERIOD IN PICTURE WRITINGS 391 



those dates, 5 Acatl, 1 Atl, can not be accidental. We shall have to 

 ndmit that not only an instance of the Yeiuis period, but a veiy re- 

 markable one, is recorded on this page. 



I come to the close. The agreement extending to details that 

 existed between the Mexicans and the jNIayas in the system of the 

 calendar and the twenty day signs doubtless corresponded to an 

 agreement in their sacerdotal science in many other particulars. 

 It could hardly be otherwise in view of the active intercourse 

 which existed between these two great civilized races. I believe the 

 foregoing has, for the first time, furnished conclusive proof of this. 

 While the Mexican forms and names have furnished a key for the 

 analysis of the da}^ signs, the detailed computations of the Dresden 

 manuscript and Forstemann's determination of them first afforded 

 a basis for the astronomic periods. The circumstance that in the 

 Mexican manuscripts the result of the computations is given without 

 the process will always make their solution a difficult taslt. 



Nevertheless, we have reason to expect that whatever progress shall 

 be made in interpreting the documents of either of the peoples will be 

 of use in throwing light upon the dark passages in the documents of 

 the other of these two areat civilized nations. 



