510 



BUREAU OF AMERTCAN ETHNOLOGY 



[bull. 28 



pages are especially to be counted among these riddles. I will here 

 show the positions of these Jiumerals. 



I would like to place the 9 of page 25b in page 25c, for it would 

 produce greater uniformity. 



Numbers 9, 7, 11, and 6 of division a are connected wdth a sign in 

 which there is an ik (" wind '' or " fire ") ; the other four numbers 

 belong to a glyph of which (he chief factor is the moon. 



In division b there belongs to each number a group formed of a 

 chuen repeated three times, that wonderful sign, the interpretation of 

 which would be so great a step in advance. 

 • In c each number refers to a vessel containing sacrificial gifts. 



Lastly, in d, on page 25, the number appears above a large kettle, 

 w^iich seems intended to be used for coolcing the sacrificial flesh (the 

 slaughtered fowl near it?), while on pages 26 to 27 it is also joined 

 with offerings, but most directly in each case with the yet unex- 

 plained sign h, Avhose chief factor is the glyph of the moon. 



All the numbers, of which there are 20, seem to have been arbitra- 

 rily chosen ; at least, with the greatest pains I have not yet succeeded 

 in discovering the law that governs them. The fact that the sum of 

 the first numbers in division a is 33 and that of the second numbers 34 

 did not even help me. 



The pages deal with the possible 52 years of a katim period. Now, 

 it is striking that the simi of the five numbers on page 25 is exactly 

 52, and uncertainty as to w^hether this result is intentional or not van- 

 ishes at once when we see that also on page 26 the sum is 52. With 

 this fact in mind we proceed to page 27 and find here ll-|-5-|-2-|-16= 

 34. If here, too, 52 is the result intended, as w^e must certainly wish 

 it to be, then the hitherto unknown numeral must be an 18, an abbre- 

 viation for the awkward form /, standing literally for duodeviginti 

 (20 — 2) in the Maya writing 18. 



