APPENDIX. 



377 



erred in faying that the Mexicans began the y ear upon 

 the loth of April, as it began as we have often repeated 

 on the 26th of February. The author of the Letters 

 believes, that the Mexicans began their year at the ver- 

 nal equinox. We are of the fame opinion as to their 

 aftronomical year ; but we have not ventured to aiErm 

 it as we do not know it. The ancient Spanifh hiftorians 

 of Mexico were not aftronomers, and were lefs attentive 

 to explain in their hiflories the progrefs of the Mexicans 

 in fciences than their fuperftitious rites. The Mexican 

 Cyclography^ compofed by the great aftronomer Siguenza, 

 after a diligent ftudy of the Mexican paintings, and vari- 

 ous calculations of the eclipfes and comets marked in 

 their paintings, has not reached us. 



We cannot pardon the Author of the Letters the injuf- 

 tice he does this great Mexican in his third Letter of 

 the fecond volume, where he fpeaks, on the faith of 

 Gemelli, of the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Carlos Sigu- 

 enza^ fays that author, imagines thefe pyramids anterior 

 to the deluge. This is not true j how could Siguenza 

 imagine thefe pyramids anterior to the deluge, if he be- 

 lieved the population of America pofterior to the confu- 

 fion of tongues, and the firft fettlers defcendants of 

 Nephtuim, grand nephew of Noah, as Boturini attefts, 

 who faw fome of the works of Siguenza ? Gemelli alfo, 

 on whofe teftimony the author of the Letters refts, gives 

 exprefs contradiction to this particular in his fixth vo- 

 lume, fecond book, and eighth chapter. " No Indian 

 historian^ fays this traveller, " has been able to investigate 

 " the time of the eredion of the pyramids of America ; but 

 " D. Carlos Siguenza imagined them very ancient^ and 



built a little time after the Deluge,''^ Nor has Gemelli pro- 

 perly explained the opinion of Siguenza \ for Dr. Eguia- 



VoL. L 3 B ra, 



