289 
for the first. The Aztecks united in what thev 
«/ 
called ivheels of the half century, xiuhmolpllU, 
the series of hieroglyphics, that denote the cycle 
of 52 years. A serpent, with its tail in its 
mouth, forming* a circle, surrounds -the wheel, 
and denotes, by four knots, the four indictions, 
or tlalplllk This emblem reminds us of the 
serpent or dragon, which, among the Egyp- 
tians and the Persians % represents the century, 
a revolution, cevum. In this wheel of fifty-two 
years, the head of the serpent denotes the be- 
ginning of the cycle. It is not so with the 
wheel of the year ; the serpent there does 
i 
not encircle the 18 hieroglyphics of the months, 
and nothing in it characterizes the first month of 
the year. 
The memoir which Mr. Gama published at 
Mexico on the Azteck almanack being very 
scarce in Europe, I shall insert here the series of 
the months, according to the laborious investi- 
gations of this distinguished writer. I shall add 
the etymology of the denominations, all of which 
relate to the festivals, public works, and the 
climate of Mexico. We cannot doubt, but that 
Tititl was the first month, the Indian Christoval 
del Castillo expressly stating in his manuscript 
history, that the nemontenii, or complementary 
/ 
^ Bailly, p. 515. 
VOL. XIII. 
