APPENDIX. 



447 



until the beginning of this cycle, have elapsed 6 great cycles, one epoch, and 

 17 (years) of another ; the first epoch of the first cycle requiring a year, as 

 has been stated. 



Additional Note at End of Don J. P. Perez 1 s Essay. 



Since this exposition was written, I have had an opportunity of seeing 

 the work, above quoted, of Chevalier Boturini, in which, speaking of the 

 Toltec Incuans, he says : 



After their peregrination through Asia, they reached the Continent 

 (America), and penetrated to Hutchuetlapallan, the first city of New Spain, 

 in which their wise men convened 130 and some years before the birth of 

 Christ ; and seeing that the civil did not agree with the astronomical year, 

 and tha', the equinoctial days were altered, they determined to add in every 

 four years one day, in order to recover the hours which were (annually) 

 lost. And it is supposed that they effected it by counting one of the sym- 

 bols of the last month of the year twice (as the Romans did with their bis- 

 sextile days), without disturbing their order, because adding or taking away 

 (a symbol) would destroy their perpetual system ; and thus they made the 

 commencement of the civil year to agree with the vernal equinox, which 

 was the principal and governing part of the year. 



He adds, that although the intercalated day had not a place in the order 

 of the symbols of the days of the year, but was thrust in, as it were, like an 

 interloper, still it gave a name (or character) to the bissextile year, having 

 most solemn feasts reserved to it, which, even in the third age, were sanc- 

 tioned by the emperor or king of those provinces; and they were held in 

 honour of the god Xinteuctli, "lord of the year," with great preparation of 

 viands and sumptuous dances, in which the lords alone danced and sang; 

 and for this reason they were called "the songs and dances of the lords." 

 In the same bissextile year was held the solemn ceremony of piercing the 

 ears of the girls and young men, it being reserved for the high-priest to exe- 

 cute that function, assisted by godfathers and godmothers. 



In the 27th paragraph of the observations he says, that there was in the 

 third age another mode of intercalating, applied only to the ritual calendar, 

 and that, in order not to disturb either the perpetual order of the fixed 

 feasts, or of the sixteen movable feasts, which circulated among the sym- 

 bols of the days of the year, by (or for the sake of) counting twice the sym- 

 bol of the last month of the bissextile year, which caused them much anxi- 

 ety on account of the displeasure of their gods, it was held better to re- 

 serve the 13 bissextile days for the end of the cycle of 52 years ; which 

 (days) are distinguished in their wheels or tables by thirteen ciphers, 

 (painted) blue or of some other colour; and they belonged neither to any 

 month nor any year, nor had they particular or individual symbols, like 

 the other days. It was with them as if there were no such days, nor were 

 they dedicated to any of their gods, on which account they were reputed 



