Hindoos, finished at the winter solstice; when/^ 
as the first missionary monks sent to Mexico 
with simplicity say, the Sim, in his anmial 
course, begins again his labours, quando desanda 
lo andador This same beginning of the year 
is found among the Peruvians, whose calendar, 
in other respects, sufficiently indicates, that they 
are not descended from the Toltecks, as several 
writers have gratuitously supposed The in- 
habitants of Cuzco preserved a tradition f, ac- 
cording to v/hich the first day of the year cor- 
responded formerly to our first of January, till 
the Inca Titu-Manco-Capac, who took tlie sur- 
name of Pachacutec (reformer of time) ^ ordered, 
that, when the Sun trod back his steps, that 
is at the winter solstice, the year should 
begin. 
A great confusion exists among the Spanish 
writers on the denomination and the series of the 
18 Mexican months. Several of these months 
had three or four names ; and some authors, for- 
getting that the Mexicans, when they had to re- 
present a periodical series of signs, or hierogly- 
phics, wrote from write to left, and began at the 
bottom of the page, have taken the last month 
* See page 173, and iny Essay on the primitive Population 
of America. Berlin. Monatschrift, 1800. Merz. p. 177, 
208. 
t Acosta, p, 200. 
