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 Aztech 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 1 1 
tochtli, or 1490, is tliat which was considered as 
the presage of tlie 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. t Storia Aritica, vol. 4, p. 51. 
t Clavigero, vol. 1, p. 283. 
