QUIEIGUA. 11 



day sign in the 5th square of the picture-writing closely resembles the figure-numeral 

 in the 6th square of pictures on the east side, which has been found to stand for 7, 

 with this difference, that the head has a death's head lower jaw in place of the living 

 lower jaw: this would raise the numeral by 10, so that it would represent the numeral 

 17 ; and as the count must commence on the day Ahau — and the 17th day after Ahau 

 is Caban — the head in the cartouche in the 6th square must represent Caban. Any 

 connection between this head and the usual sign for Caban is not at first evident, but 

 a careful examination of the cast showed that the mark on the face had not been quite 

 accurately drawn. As the lithograph had been printed before this discovery was made, 

 a redrawing of the face and of the usual sign for Caban have been added in the margin 

 of the Plate, and a comparison of the two will show how a trace of the Caban character 

 is retained (compare also glyph 18, Plate XXXII.). The dates in both the Initial 

 Series, as thus reckoned, will be found to agree with Mr. Goodman's Calendars. 



Stkla E. (Plates XXVII. to XXXII.) 



Height 25 feet; breadth (south) 5 feet, (north) 4 feet 2 inches; 

 thickness 3 feet 3 inches. 



This monument is leaning over at a very considerable angle, and the upper (south) 

 face has suffered from exposure and from the continual dripping of water from the 

 overshadowing trees. The north side, owing to the advantage of its sheltered position, 

 is well preserved. As we wished to make a plaster mould of a considerable portion of 

 this north face, it was necessary to test with care the stability of the monument. 

 Finally, finding that six of us could stand on the top of the monument without shaking 

 it, we judged that the base must be safely anchored in the ground, and that the added 

 weight of the plaster would not be likely to bring it down on our heads. 



As it would have been dangerous to dig away the earth round the base of the 

 monument, we were not able to take a complete mould of the lower portion of the 

 sculpture. The drawing on the preceding page (Fig. c) shows the design on the south 

 face and part of the east and west sides of the pedestal. It represents a grotesque 

 mask with the mouth open and the lower jaw hanging down. From this open mouth 

 issues the head of a serpent-bird, whose wings pass through or beneath the lower jaw 

 of the mask and spread out on either side. The design is further complicated by the 

 two sides of the lower jaw and the scrolls on the sides of the mask being turned into 

 secondary grotesque heads. 



The portion of the grotesque mask or face which appears above ground on the north 

 side of the monument is clearly shown on Plate XXVIIL, a. The scrolls which 



c2 



