405 



rain preceded this passage six days. As the 

 whole period of thirteen days., in which the Sun 

 reaches the zenith, is dedicated to the sign ollm 

 Tonaiiuh, and the milky way, citlalcueye ; and 

 as the day 4 rain constantly belongs to this same 

 period ; it seems probable, that the Mexicans 

 indicated this last day in preference, in order that 

 the figure of the Sun should be surrounded by 

 lour signs, which had all the same number four ; 

 and particularly to form an allusion to the four 

 destructions of the Sun, which tradition places 

 in the days 4 tiger, 4 wind, 4 water, and 4 rain. 

 The five small rounds, which are found on the 

 left of the day 2 ape, immediately above the 

 sign malinalU, seem to allude to the festival of 

 the god Maciiil-Malinalli, who had particular 

 altars ; this festival was celebrated about the 

 12th of September, called MacidlU MalinalU. 

 The point of the triangle, which separates the 

 sign of the day, 1 silex, from the sign of the 

 night, tletl, or fire, is directed towards the first of 

 the twenty asterisms of the signs of the zodiac, 

 because, in the year 13 canes, the day 1 cipactU 

 corresponds to the day of the autumnal equinox: 

 about this time was celebrated a festival of ten 

 days, the most solemn of which was the day 10 

 Ollin, or 10 Sun, which corresponds to our 16th 

 of September. It is believed at Mexico, that 

 the two compartments placed under the tongue 



