307 



sufficient to add to the hieroglyphic the rounds 

 denoting the units. 



The symbolical writing of the Mexican na- 

 tions exhibited simple signs equally for twenty, 

 and for the second and third powers of the same 

 number, which recalls to mind that of the fingers 

 and toes of the hands and the feet. A small 

 standard, or flag, represented twenty units ; the 

 square of twenty, or four hundred, was figured 

 by a feather, because grains of gold, enclosed in 

 a quill, were used in some places as money, or 

 a sign for the purposes of exchange. The figure 

 of a sack indicated the cube of twenty, or eight 

 thousand, and bore the name of xiquipilli, given 

 also to a kind of purse that contained eight 

 thousand grains of cacao. A standard divided 

 by two cross lines, and half coloured, indicated 

 half twenty, or ten. If the standard was three 

 quarters coloured, it denoted fifteen units or 

 three fourths of twenty. In reckoning, the 

 Mexican did not name the multiples of ten, 

 which the Arabians called knots, but the multi- 

 ples of twenty. He said one twenty, cem-pohualli, 

 two twenties, om-pohualli, three twenties, yei- 

 pohualli, and four twenties, naltui-pohualli. The 

 last expression is the same with that employed 

 in French *. It is almost superfluous to ob- 

 serve, that the Mexicans were unacquainted 



* Quatre-ringt. 

 x2 



