68 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



guenza (b). The century was reprefented by a wheel 

 divided into fifty-two figures, or rather by f ur figures, 

 which were thirteen times defigned. They u ed to paint 

 a ferpent twilled about the wheel, which pointed out by 

 four twifts of its body the four principal wir ds, and the 

 beginnings of the four periods of thirteen years. The 

 wheel which we here prefent, is a copy of two others, 

 one of which was publilhed by Valades, and the other 

 by Gemelli, within which we have reprefented the 

 fun, as was generally done by the Mexicans. In another 

 place we mall explain the figures of thefe wheels in 

 order to fatisfy our curious readers. 



The method adopted by the Mexicans to compute 

 months, years, and centuries, was, as we have already 

 mentioned, common to all the poliflied nations of Ana- 

 huac, without any variation among them except in the 

 names and figures (r). The Chiapanefe, who, among 

 the tributaries to the crown of Mexico, were the mod 

 diftant from the capital ; inftead of the names and 

 the figures of the Rabbit, the Cane, Flint, and Houfe, 

 made ufe of the names Votan, Lambat, Been, and Chi- 

 nan, and inftead of the names of the Mexican days, 

 they adopted the names of twenty illuftrious men among 

 their anceftors, among which the four names above 

 mentioned, occupied the fame place that the names 

 Rabbit, Cane, Flint, and Houfe, held amongft the 



Mexican 



(b) Three copies of the Mexican year have been publilhed. The firft that 

 of Valades, the fecond that of Siguenza, publifhed by Gemelli, and the third 

 that of Boturini, publifhed at Mexico, in 1770. In that of Siguenza, within 

 the wheel of the century, appears that of the year; and in that of Valades, with- 

 in both wheels, that of the month is reprefented. We have feparated them to 

 make them more intelligible. 



(c) Boturini fays, that the Indians of the diocefe of Guaxaca made their year 

 confift of thirteen months; but it muft have been their aflronomical or civil 

 year, and not their religious year. 



