APPENDIX. 



335 



months, and the NappapohuallatoIIi, or general audi- 

 ence which was given every four months. 



In refpe<5i: to civil government, they divided the 

 month into four periods of five days, and on a certain 

 fixed day of each period their fair or great market was 

 held ; but being governed even in political matters by 

 principles of religion in the capital, this fair was kept 

 on the days of the Rabbit, the Cane, the Flint, and 

 the Houfe, which were their favourite figns. 



The Mexican year confiPced of feventy-three periods 

 of thirteen days, and the century of feventy-three pe- 

 riods of thirteen months, or cycles of two hundred and 

 fixty days. 



It is certainly not to be doubted, that the Mexican, 

 or Toltecan fyften^ of the diilribution of time was ex- 

 tremely well digefled, though at firft view it appears 

 rather intricate and perplexed ; hence we may infer 

 with confidence, it was not the work of a rude or un- 

 poliflied people. That however which is moft furprif- 

 ing in their mode of computing time, and which will 

 certainly appear improbable to readers who are but lit- 

 tle informed with refpe£l to Mexican antiquity, is^ that 

 having difcovered the excefs of a few hours in the folar 

 above the civil year, they made ufe of intercalary days 

 to bring them to an equality ; but with this differ- 

 ence in regard to the method eftabliihed by Juiius' 

 Casfar in the Roman calendar, that they did not in- 

 terpofe a day every four years, but thirteen days, 

 (making ufe even here of this favourite number) every 

 fifty-tw^o years ; which produces the fame regulation of 

 time. At the expiration of the century they broke, as 

 we fliail mention hereafter, all their kitchen utenfils, 

 fearing that then alfo the fourth age, the fun and all 



the 



