CHAPTER IV. 



SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE PROBABLE MEANING OF SOME 

 OF THE FIGURES ON THE OTHER PLATES. 



PART FIRST OF THE MANUSCRIPT. 



Plates II to VII of the first part appear to relate to one general sub- 

 ject, if we can judge of this by the figures and symbols, but what that 

 general subject is I am as yet unable to determine positively, but am of the 

 opinion that they relate, in part at least, to the festivals and profession of 

 the traveling merchants. 



The first division of Plate II contains two figures. The one to the left, 

 a quadruped upon a brown ground, has its hind feet upon an oblong figure, 

 apparently a stone, holding by its fore feet to a cord which passes round 

 the object on which its hind feet are placed. A machete is plunged into the 

 back, forming a great wound, from which we see the blood flowing out. The 

 character on which he stands is marked with the trembling cross, which sig- 

 nifies "Ezanab" or "flint." I think it more than probable that this is 

 intended to denote the sacrifice of this animal. It was the custom to sacri- 

 fice a dog at the merchants' festival, but it is doubtful whether this figure is 

 intended to represent a dog. 



A similar figure and with similar accompaniments is found in the upper 

 division of Plate III. I find among the characters immediately above both 



of these, this one >*Z^'^^ J The right-hand portion appears to be Landa's 



character for the letter "X." If we suppose the inscription to have any 

 reference to the figures in the spaces, we may give this two possible inter- 

 pretations — the first 01, "heart," probably denoting the sacrifice of the ani- 

 mal or person by the usual method of taking out the heart. Or, supposing 



