172 



ravages made by the small pox * among the 

 Indians in 1538, &c. 



If the annals of the Le Tellier manuscript 

 accord with the chronology adopted by the abbe 

 Clavigero in a dissertation, contained in the 

 fourth volume of the ancient history of Mexicof ; 

 the correspondence of the Azteck and Christian 

 years differs so much the more from that fol- 

 lowed by Boturini and Acosta. These annals 

 begin at the year 5 tochtli, or 1197, the period 

 of the arrival of the Mexicans at Tula, which 

 is the northern limit of the valley of Tenochtit- 

 lan. The great comet, the appearance of which 

 is indicated near the hieroglyphic of the year 11 

 tochtli, or 1490, is that which was considered as 

 the presage of the arrival of the Spaniards in 

 America. Montezuma, discontented with the 

 court astrologer, put him to death on this oc- 

 casion*;. The sinister presages continued till 

 1509, when there was seen, according to the Le 

 Tellier manuscript, during forty nights, a vivid 

 light toward the east. This light, which seemed 

 to arise from the Earth, was perhaps the zodiacal 

 light, the splendor of which is very great and 

 unequal under the tropics. The people consider 

 the most common phenomena as new, when su- 

 perstition gives them a mysterious meaning. 

 The comets of 1490 and 1529 are either 



* Plate 56, fig-. 3. f Storia Antica, vol. 4, p. 51. 



+ Clavigero, vol. 1, p. 2tftf. 



