SYMBOLS AND PICTOGRAPHS. 127 



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pouring in at the same time such a shower of stones and arrows 

 that they wounded fifteen Spaniards." 



Bernal Diaz, from whom Herrera evidently quotes, says: "These war- 

 riors were armed with thick coats of cotton, and carried besides their bows 

 and arrows, lances, shields, and slings."^ 



Landa (Relacion §XXIX) says their offensive weapons were bows and 

 arrows, which they bore in a quiver, the latter made of reeds and having 

 the points armed with obsidian or fish-teeth, and very sharp. "They had 

 little hatchets of a particular metal," heretofore referred to, "which, in com- 

 bat, served them as an arm." "They also had lances a tois [fixthom] in 

 length, armed at the end with a silex head, very hard. And they had no 

 other arms." 



Figures in red, like that shown in Fig. 20 (the little squares only are 

 alluded to), are found in a number of places in the Manuscript. 

 Brasseur interprets them as symbols for cab, "honey " or "honey- 

 comb." The connection in which they are found I think 

 proves that he is correct. We find elsewhere, as in the char- 

 acter for Cauac, and on articles made of wood, a similar figure, *'*^'" '^*'' 

 usually smaller, outlined in black, but never colored. Attention will be 

 called to this hei'eafter. 



A figure like that shown in Fig. 21 is also found on several plates 



Fig. 21. Fig. 22. Fig. 23. Fig. 24. 



of the Manuscript, but never in the Codex. Sometimes it is in the hands 

 of a priest, but in a few instances it seems to be used as a character or 

 symbol. Brasseur's interpretation is nen or "mirror"; but this I think is a 

 mistake. It is more probable that it is a figure of the calendar tvJieel men- 

 tioned by Landa. 



Mortars used for preparing paints are represented in two forms (see 

 Figs. 22 and 23): their 2Mint-pots as in Fig. 24. 



On Plate XXXIV we observe the priests in the act of painting blue 

 that which is here shown (Fig. 25), which is probably a little adoi'atorio 



' Hist. — Keatiug's Transl. p. 4. 



