/ 
307 
sufficient to add to the hieroglyphic the roimds 
denoting the units. 
The symbolical writing of the Mexican na- 
tions exhibited simple signs equally for twenty, 
and for the second and third powers of the same 
number, which recalls to mind that of the fingers 
and toes of the hands and the feet. A small 
standard, or flag, represented twenty units ; the 
square of twenty, or four hundred, was figured 
by ^ feather, because grains of gold, enclosed in 
a quill, were used in some places as money, or 
a sign for the purposes of exchange. The figure 
of a such indicated the cube of twenty, or eight 
thousand, and bore the name of xiqidp'dU^ given 
also to a kind of purse that contained eight 
thousand grains of cacao. A standard divided 
by two cross lines, and half coloured, indicated 
half twenty, or ten. If the standard was three 
quarters coloured, it denoted fifteen units or 
three fourths of twenty. In reckoning, the 
Mexican did not name the multiples of ten, 
which the Arabians called hnots, but the multi- 
ples of twenty. He said one twenty, cem-pohuaUiy 
two twenties, om-pohualli, three twenties, ?/e^- 
pohualli, and four twenties, nahui-pohualli. The 
last expression is the same with that employed 
in French It is almost supeiffiuous to ob- 
serve, that the Mexicans were unacquainted 
* Quatre-viugt, 
X 2 
