- Phillips.] 620 [Oct. 19, 
head, for by this term they name a rabbit; the fourth, acal, which they 
represent as a sign for water. They reckon with these four numbers and 
objects till they come to the thirteenth year, which then rounds the great 
cycle, like the indiction or lustrum of the Romans ; and when finished 
four times thirteen, the four years being run four times thirteen, 
making fifty and two, this they call an age (epoch), and when 
fifty and two years are ended, with much pomp they celebrate: the 
great year, and place the period with those already passed, and re-com- 
mence anew their four year computation ; the festival of which and the en- 
trance into the new cycle was celebrated among the Mexicans by extin- 
guishing all the lights that existed, and the priests would go to seek light 
again at a temple situated on a high mountain near Astapalapa, where the 
ceremonies took place, about two leagues distant from Mexico. They then 
continued henceforth their count of four years, and then of thirteen, till 
they had reached their fifty-two, and so on from fifty-two to fifty-two 
for all time. 
Returning to the giants who were created at the time when Tvacatlipuca 
was the sun, it is said that when he ceased to be the sun, they all perished, 
and tigers made an end to them and ate them up, so that no one remained ; 
and these tigers were created in this fashion ; that after thirteen times 
fifty-two years had passed Quequcoatl became the sun, and Teacatlipuca 
ceased to be it, because he gave him a blow with a great stick, and threw 
him over into the water, and there he was metamorphosed into a tiger, and 
issued forth thence to slay the giants; and this appeared in the heavens, 
for it is said that the wrsa major came down to the water because he is Tez- 
cathipuca, and was on high in memory of him. 
In these eras the Maceguales ate the nuts of the pine trees and nothing 
else, which lasted while Quecalcoatl was the sun, during thirteen times 
fifty-two years, which was 676 years, which being come to an end Tezcatli- 
puca, on account of being a god did the same actions as his other brothers, 
and hence was made a tiger, and gave a kick in the breech to Quecaleoatl, 
which upset him and finished his term of being the sun ; and then a terri- 
ble wind arose which carried away all the Maceguales, except a few who 
remained suspended in the air, and the rest turned into apes and mon- 
keys; then Tlalocateclt, the god of the lower regions, became the sun, and 
remained so seven tithes fifty-two years, which are 364 years, in which 
time the Maceguales had nothing to eat, but agigdutli, which is a species of 
seed of a grain which is born in the water, When these years were over, 
Quecalcoatl sent down a rain of fire from heaven, and deprived Atlalocateclt 
of being the sun, and made his wife Chalehiutlique, the sun in his place, 
who remained so six times fifty-two years, which are 312 years, and during 
that time the Maceguales ate only a seed of a grain like maize named cin- 
trococopi.” And so from the birth of the gods to the fulfillment of the sun 
according to the count were 2000 and 600 and 20 and 8 years. 
