38 MAYA AND MEXICAN MANUSCRIPTS. 



sented by Rosny, 15 and Scbultz-Sellack. 16 But which east and which 

 west is the rotk on which the deductions have been, so far, split asunder; 

 Rosny and Schultz-Sellack maintaining that a is west and c east, and 

 I that a is east and c west. If we admit that they are correctly placed 

 on this plate it necessitates the admission on my part that I have been 

 incorrect in my reference of two of them. If a is east then I have re- 

 versed those denoting north and south; if it is west, then I was correct 

 as to those denoting north and south, but have reversed those indicating 

 east and west. 



Without at present stating the result of my re-examination of this 

 subject I shall enter at once upon the discussion, leaving this to ap- 

 pear as we proceed. 



It is well known that each of the dominical days or year-bearers 

 (Cuch-haab, as they were termed by the Mayas), Kan, Muluc, Ix, and 

 Cauac, was referred to one of the four cardinal points. Our first step, 

 therefore, is to determine the points to which these days were respect- 

 ively assigned. 



I have given in my former paper H my reasons for believing that Cauac 

 was referred to the south, Kan to the east, Muluc to the north, and Ix 

 to the west, from which I quote the following as a basis for further ar- 

 gument : 



'• Lauda, Cogulludo, and Perez tell us that each of the four dominical 

 days was referred by the Indians to one of the four cardinal points. As 

 t he statements of these three authorities appear at first sight to conflict 

 with each other, let us see if we can bring them into harmony without 

 resorting to a violent construction of the language used. Perez' state- 

 ment is clear and distinct, and as it was made by one thoroughly con- 

 versant with the manners and customs of the natives, and also with all 

 the older authorities, it is doubtless correct. 



" He says, ' The Indians made a little wheel in which they placed the 

 initial days of the year. Kan at the east, Muluc at the north, Oix or 

 HLv at the icest, and Cauac at the south, to be counted in the same or- 

 der.' 



" The statement of Cogulludo, which agrees substantially with this, is 

 as follows : ' They fixed the first year at the east, to whicb they gave 

 the name Ouch-haab ; the second at the west, and called it Hiix ; the 

 the third at the south, named Cauac, and the fourth, Muluc, at the 

 north.' 



" Turning now to Landa's work (Belac. de las Cosas, §§ XXXIV), we are 

 somewhat surprised to find the following language : ' The first of these 

 dominical letters is Kan. * * * They placed this on the south side. 

 * # # rp ue secon( j letter is Muluc, which is placed on the eastern 

 side. * * * The third of theseletters is Tx, * * * anditsigni- 



15 Les. Doc. Ecrit. l'Antiq. Ameriq. 



16 Zeite. fiirEthn., 1879. 



17 Study Manuscript Troano, pp. 68-70. 



