tho ASSIGNMENT OF THE DAY GROUPS. 53 



loop, and Cozcaqtiauhtli at the right base of the green loop (but in this 

 case it can be determined only by the order, not by the figure). These 

 arc the four days, as is well known, on which the Mexican years begin. 



I take for granted, therefore, that the year Aeatl or Cane applies to 

 the top or red loop. This, I am aware, necessitates commencing the 

 year with 1 Oipactli, thus apparently contradicting the statement of 

 Gemelli that the Tochtli year began with Cipactli. But it must be borne 

 in mind that this author expressly proceeds upon the theory that the 

 counting of the years began in the south with Tochtli. If the count be- 

 gan with 1 Cane, as both the expounder of the Vatican Codex and Durau 

 affirm, Cipactli would be the first day of this year, as it appears evident 

 from the day lists in the Codices that the first year of all the Bystems 

 commenced with this day. That Acatl was assigned to the east is 

 affirmed by all authorities save Boturini, and this agrees very well 

 with the plate now under consideration. There is one statement made 

 by the expounder of the Vatican Codex which not only enables us to 

 understand his confused explanation, but indicates clearly the kind of 

 painting he had in view, and tends to confirm the opinion here ad- 

 vanced. 



He says th.it "to signify the first day of the world they painted a 

 figure like the moon," &c. Let us guess this to be Cipactli, as nothing 

 of the kind named is to be found. The next figure was a cane; their third 

 figure was a serpent ; their fourth, earthquake (Ollin) ; their fifth, water. 

 •■These five signs they placed in the upper part, which they called Ttocpac, 

 that is to say. the east." That he does not mean that these days fol- 

 lowed each other consecutively in counting time must be admitted. 

 That he saw them placed in this order iu some painting may lie inferred 

 with positive certainty. It is also apparent that they are the fiveilays 

 of the first column in the arrangement of the Mexican days shown iu 

 Table Xo. XI, though not iu the order there given, which is as follows: 



Dragon, Snake. Water, Cane, Movement. 



The order in which they are placed by this author is this : 



Dragon? Cane, Serpent, Movement, Water. 



Which, by referring to page 35, we find to be precisely the same as 

 that of the five days wedged iu between the loops iu the M^erlefr-haud 

 corner of Plate 44 of the Fejervary Codex ; thus agreeing in order and 

 position with this author's statement. Duran, as we have seen, also 

 places the east at the top. The same thing is true in regard to the 

 calendar wheel from the book of Chilan Balam hereafter shown. 



Accordingly, I conclude that the top of this plate — the red loop — will 

 be east; the left-hand or yellow loop, north; the bottom or blue loop, 

 west, and the right-hand or green loop, south. This also brings the year 

 Acatl to the east, Tecpatl to the north. Calli to the west, and Tochtli to 



