586 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 28 



This interval, however, is really the correct one, but in III it is 

 somewhat irro<>:ularly Avritten. But 537=2 X^f^O-j-lT, and there is, 

 in fact, an interval of 17 days from the day IX 20 to XIII 17. 537 

 also equals 365-|-l72, and from the sixth day of the sixth month to the 

 ei<2:hteenth day of the fourteenth month there are in fact 172 days. 



In none of the three cases, however, does the interval follow directly 

 after the first date ; after G 1 H 1 there first follow 8 glyphs, after 

 E 1 F 1 there are 4, and after Q 6 R (>, 14. But of these 14 signs the 

 last G are doubtless to be disregarded ; they consist of a period, a date, 

 and two more glyphs, which, it is true, are connected in a manner 

 as yet obscui-e with the rest of the passage in which they are inserted, 

 the detailed investigation of which does not belong here. 



In the three places, therefore, there are left 8, 4, and 8 glyphs, 

 which are inserted respectively betAveen the first date and the period 

 of time. We can, therefore, readih^ conjecture that these three 

 groups have a similar purport and similar signs, and where the 

 signs differ that one sign has been substituted for another. But I 

 must leave the investigation of this point, like so many others, to 

 the future. I only add that the sign I 1 in inscription I is like the 

 sign E 2 in inscription III; both stand at the beginning of the 

 group of inserted glyphs; and in G 1, which is third in the group of 

 the inserted signs of inscription III, we find a glyph with the nu- 

 meral 7 as a prefix ; with this corresponds the fourth in inscription 

 I, the obliterated glyph L 2, of which, however, enough remains to 

 show that it likewise has the prefix 7. Thus we certainly have two 

 indications that the inscriptions are of like import. 



But I can furnish a second example of the agreement of two dates 

 and their interval in two inscriptions. It is the following: 



II III 



Datell 13; 14, 8 , LlMl 04P4 



DateIII14; 15,8 -.- M5L6 P708 



It is plain that two successive days are here meant, therefore an 

 interval need not be stated. Between the two dates inscription II 

 has 7 glyphs, inscription III only 5. Among these the first two 

 in both cases are identic, and this is also true of the third, which is 

 a very evident sign that the two inscriptions are of kindred import. 



It should be remarked, further, that the date II 13 is repeated in 

 inscription II, N 16, in the following very remarkable connection: 



Period 604 ----- 13N14 



Date VIII 17; 8,2 N 15 



Date II 13 (no month given) N 16 



But 604=2X260+84, or 365+239. From II 13 to VIII 17, how- 

 ever, there arc 84 days (counting backward), hence the fourteenth 

 day of the eighth month is to be supplied after N 16, as we foiund it 

 above with the date II 13. 



