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Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



with 4, 8 and 12; in the third, with 3, 7 and 1 1, and in the fourth, 

 with 2, 6 and 10. 



The same thing happens with the rest of the symbols that begin 

 the other three indictions ; hence, we deduce the following rules : 

 Each indiction finishes with the same symbol with which it 

 begins ; and it occurs four times in the first and three times in the 

 others. Always when the numerical characters accompanying a 

 symbol are 1,5,9 an< ^ x 3' tne period will be the first of the same 

 indiction as the symbol ; but it will be otherwise if the numbers 

 are different, which, compared with those that are arranged in our 

 table, will make known what indiction it must be. And thus it 

 will be easy to ascertain whatever year is referred to separately, 

 and to what indiction it belongs, and, consequently, how many 

 have elapsed since the commencement of the Mexican cycle. 



Although the Mexicans commenced their cycle with the symbol 

 "ce Tochtli"* (first rabbit), they did not prefer it, but the follow- 

 ing year, "ome' Acatl" (second cane), upon which they held the 

 grand festival of fire, which they celebrated in honor of their 

 secular gods, and it endured for thirteen days, as we have 

 previously stated. In all their picturegraphs we see the hiero- 

 glyphic of the "binding of the cycle," with the symbol "ome 

 Acatl;" and in all their annals and manuscript documents their 

 authors expressly relate that on this year they bound their cycles 

 and rekindled the sacred fire. A long time elapsed before I could 

 ascertain the reason for this alteration, until there fell into my 

 hands the "Mexican Chronicle," written by Don Hernando de 

 Alvarado Tezozomoc. By it there is clearly demonstrated the 

 cause that led to the change in the order of reckoning which they 

 had received from their ancestors, the Toltecs (who commenced 

 their cycle with the symbol "ce Tecpatl," and had transferred 

 the celebration of their secular festival to the year "ome Acatl") 

 The grand epoch of the Mexicans was that on which they made 

 their exodus from Aztlan, their country, in order to come and 

 populate the lands of Anahuac; and this was in the year " ce 



*The Mexican numbers are : Ce, I ; Ome, 2 ; Tei, 3 ; Nahui, 4 ; Macuilli, 5 ; 

 Chicuacem, 6 ; Chicome, 7 ; Chicuei, 8 ; Chicuhnalmi, 9 ; Matlacti, 10 ; Matlacti 

 0/ ce, 11 ; Matlacti omome, 12; Matlacti omey, 13. 



