xiioMABi INTERPEBTATION OF CHAEACTEES. 151 



upon this character furnishes a strong reason for believing it should in such 

 cases be rendered "earth." 



Turning to Plate XXIV*, we observe, in the third division, the figure 

 of a large brown tree, and a person standing by with hatchet in hand 

 in the act of cutting; in the inscription immediately above is Fig. 76. 

 There can be little, if any, doubt that this refers to cutting into the 

 tree. The Caban character may signify a particular species, 

 but I think it more than probable the word denoted is cabal, "at 

 the foot or base," "at the ground"; and that the proper rendering 

 is "cut with a hatchet at the base," or "at the ground." The cut ^^'"^- '^■ 

 or opening at the base of the brown tree appears to correspond with this 

 interpretation, especially as the tree to the right in the same division is 

 severed at a short distance above the base. 



If my rendering of this character, in the different uses to which it is 

 applied, be correct, it must be to some extent at least phonetic. 



On the wall and base of the dwelling, or whatsoever it may be, on 

 Plate (30) of the Codex, it is probably used to denote that it is earthen, 

 or plastered. 



This character is closely allied to the symbol for the day Cih (Kib), 

 which is usually given thus in the Manuscript (Fig. 77). In 

 each of the words we have the sound of k and b, but one of the 

 characters has a line of dots that is wanting in the other. The 

 inner line and the little cross-marks usually found in Cib fi«- "• 

 in the Manuscript, and represented in Fig. 77, do not appear to be 

 essential. 



The character represented in Fig. 78 occurs in the middle y-"^!*^!) in 

 division of Plate V. 1^ fc)^|| 



As the figures in the spaces probably represent traveling fig. 78. 

 merchants, it is possible that this should be rendered ubeom — the "traveler" 

 or "merchant." 



The third division of Plate XXIX (the lower of the two shown in 

 Fig. 79), is divided into four compartments, each with its figure and 

 superscription, the latter consisting of four compound characters in each 



