MOEMY] INTRODUCTION TO STUDY OF MAYA HIEEOGLYPHS 159 



Now let US turn to Chapter IV and apply the several steps there 

 given, by means of which Maya numbers may be solved. The first 

 step on page 134 was to reduce the given number, in this case 

 9.18.5,0.0, to units of the first order; this may be done by multiplying 

 the recorded coefficients by the numerical values of the periods to 

 which they are respectively attached. These values are given in 

 Table XIII, and the sum of the products arising from their multi- 

 ji'-ication by the coefficients recorded in the Initial Series in plate 6, A 

 are given below : 



A3= 9X144,000 = 1,296,000 



B3 = 18X 7,200= 129,600 



A4= 5X 360= 1,800 



B4= Ox 20= 



A5= Ox 1= 



1,427,400 



Therefore 1,427,400 will be the number used in the following calcu- 

 lations. 



The second step (see step 2, p. 135) is to determine the starting 

 point from which this nuruber is counted. According to rule 2, page 

 136, if the number is an Initial Series the starting point, although 

 never recorded, is practically always the date 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu. 

 Exceptions to this rule are so very rare that they may be disregarded 

 by the beginner, and it may be taken for granted, therefore, in the 

 present case, that our number 1,427,400 is to be comited from the 

 date 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu. 



The third step (see step 3, p. 136) is to determine the direction of 

 the comit, whether forward or backward. In this connection it was 

 stated that the general practice is to count forward, and that the 

 student should always proceed upon this assumption. However, 

 in the present case there is no room for uncertainty, since the direc- 

 tion of the count in an Initial Series is governed by an invariable 

 rule. In Initial Series, according to the rule on page 137, the count 

 is always forward, consequently 1,427,400 is to be counted forward 

 from 4 Ahau 8 Cumhu. 



The fourth step (see step 4, p. 138) is to count the given number 

 from its startmg point; and the rules governing this process will be 

 foimd on pages 139-143. Since our given number (1,427,400) is 

 greater than 18,980, or 1 Calendar Round, the prelimmary rule on 

 page 143 applies in the present case, and we may therefore sub- 

 tract from 1,427,400 all the Calendar Rounds possible before proceed- 

 ing to count it from the starting point. By referrmg to Table 

 XVI, it appears that 1,427,400 contains 75 complete Calendar 

 Rounds, or 1,423,500; hence, the latter number may be subtracted 



