376 



solstitial points, to the cycles of sixty days, and 

 the durations of the half-lunations. 



We have already observed, that the Mexican 

 year, like that of the Egyptians and Persians, 

 was composed of three hundred and sixty days* 

 to which were added five epagomena, termed 

 furtive (masteraka) , or useless (nemontemi). 

 If the Mexicans had been unacquainted with 

 the excess of the duration of the revolution of 

 the Sun over three hundred and sixty- five days, 

 the beginning of their year, like that of the 

 vague year of the Egyptians, would have passed, 

 in about one thousand five hundred and eight 

 years, through every season and every point of 

 the ecliptic. Four centuries had elapsed after 

 the reform of the Mexican calendar in 1091, be- 

 fore the arrival of the Spaniards. The writers 

 of that time affirm, that at this epocha the ca- 

 lendar of the Europeans coincided within a few 

 days with the Azteck calendar : and the accu- 

 rate calculation of the eclipses of the Sun 

 marked in the Mexican annals even render it 

 probable, that the difference observed between 

 the two calendars proceeded wholly from our 

 own not having yet undergone the Gregorian 

 reform. Let us now examine what was the 

 mode of intercalation, by which the Mexicans 

 avoided the errors of their chronology. 



The Mexican year being solar, and not lunar, 



