28G 
Tartaiy^ but who have long had intimate com- 
munications with Hindostan * and Thibet. 
We have seen above, that the Mexican year 
presented, like that of the Egyptians and the 
new French calendar ^ the advantage of a division 
into months of equal duration. The five com- 
plementary days, the epagomenes 
of the Egyptians, were denoted among the 
Mexicans by the name of nemontemi or voids. 
We shall see presently the origin of this denomi- 
nation ; it is sufficient here to observe, that the 
children born during the five complementary 
days were regarded as unfortunate, and were 
called nemoqulchtU or nencihuatl, unhappy men 
or women; in order that, as is stated by the 
Mexican writers, these very names should call 
to their remembrance, in every event of life, how 
little they ought to trust to their stars. 
Thirteen Mexican years formed a cycle, 
called tlalpllli^ analogous to the indiction of the 
Romans. Four tlalpilli formed a period of 52 
years, or xmhmolpilli, ligature of the years ; finally, 
two of these periods of 52 years formed an old 
age, cehuehuetlliztli. To express myself more 
clearly, I shall call, with several Spanish writers, 
the Ugaiure half a century, and old age a century. 
* Sir William Jones, in the Asiatic Researches, vol. 1, 
p. 420. 
