112 A STUDY OF THE MANUSCRIPT TEOANO. 



ions of time I think is clear from what has been shown concerning their 

 calendar. When I first noticed this arrangement I was of the opinion that 

 it indicated the number of different subjects treated of in the manuscript, 

 and that the page should be considered in columns. But subsequent study 

 has led me to doubt the con-ectness of the first part of this theory. 



We observe that the first (top) line consists of seven day characters as 

 follows (counting from left to right as numbered): Ymix, Ik, Akbal, Kan, 

 CJiicchan, Cimi, and Manik Two are obliterated, but there can be no 

 doubt that the missing ones are Kan and Chicchan, a conclusion I had 

 reached before I had seen Rosny's work or Dr. Brinton's article. Brasseur 

 supplied the fourth space with Ahau and the fifth with Kan. 



In this connection I call attention to the fact that on the left-hand slab 

 of the Palanque Tablet there are just seven double characters under the 

 large initiatory hieroglyph. Omitting the four characters by the upright of 

 the cross, the number of columns is an exact multiple of seven, whether 

 we omit or include the single ones in the transverse lines above the heads of 

 the priests. 



Counting the large initiatory character as four — as it covers four spaces — 

 and each double one as two, there are 245 characters on the entire tablet — 

 an exact multiple of seven. It may be worthy of notice also that there are 

 just seven characters in and immediately around the cross (included in the 

 above calculation), viz, two on the upright, omitted in Dr. Eau's scheme; 

 two each side, and one immediately to the left of the lower end of the arrow 

 shaft (also omitted in Dr. Rau's plan): that there are 17 (=10 + 7) charac- 

 ters in each column of the outer slabs. 



This may be accidental, and, as a rule, but little confidence should be 

 placed in sucli calculations; but this, taken in connection with what we find 

 in this line in the Manuscript, is sufficient to lead us to believe that this 

 septenary arrangement is not accidental, but intentional, and has some spe- 

 cific, hidden meaning. 



The tablet on the inner wall of Casa No. 1 (Stephen's Cent. Am., II, 

 343) has on it fourteen columns, each with ten characters, making 140 in 

 all ; but those on the outer corridor of the same casa have each twenty col- 

 umns of twelve characters. The tablet of Casa No. 3, which appears to be 



