PREFACE 



I am fully aware that this paper bears the marks of haste and gives 

 evidence of the fact that a number of the more important points are not 

 worked out as thoroughly and completely as they might have been had 

 more time been devoted to them. But the growing interest in the public 

 mind in reference to all that relates to the past histor}^ of our continent has 

 induced me to present it in its present incomplete form rather than defer its 

 publication to an indefinite period in the future. It is therefore offered to 

 the public more as a tentative work than with the expectation that all my 

 conclusions will stand the test of criticism. 



I have endeavored, as will be seen by an examination of its contents, 

 to confine my studies as strictly as possible to the Manuscript itself, without 

 being influenced in my conclusions by the conclusions of otliers — using 

 Landa's "Belacion," Perez's "■ Cronologia," Brasseur's works, and the Dresden 

 Codex as my chief aids; not intending by any means to ignore the valu- 

 able work done by others in the same field, but that I might remain as free 

 as possible to work out results in my own line of thought. 



I may also add that at the time the main portion of the paper was 

 written I was in the West, out of reach of any extensive library contain- 

 ing works relating to the history, antiquities, &c., of Mexico and Central 

 America. This fact I mention as an apology for the comparatively few 

 works referred to in the paper. 



I have studied the Manuscript somewhat in the same way tlie child 

 undertakes to solve an illustrated rebus, assunn'ng as a standpoint the status 

 of the semi-civilized Indian, and endeavoring, as far as possible, to proceed 

 upon the same plane of thought. In other words, I have not proceeded upon 

 the assumption that the pre-Columbian Indians of Yucatan were learned phi- 



