405 
rain preceded this passage six days. As the 
whole period of thirteen days^ in which the Sun 
x'eaches the zenith, is dedicated to the sign ollin 
Tonatiuli, and the milky way, cltlalcueye ; and 
as the day 4 rain constantly belongs to this same 
period ; it seems probable, that the Mexicans 
indicated this last day in preference, in order that 
the figure of the Sun should be surrounded by 
four signs, which had all the same number four ; 
and particularly to form an allusion to the four 
destructions of the Sun, which tradition places 
in the days 4 tiger, 4 wind, 4 water, and 4 rain. 
The five small rounds, which are found on the 
left of the day 2 ape, immediately above the 
sign mallnalll^ seem to allude to the festival of 
the god Macuil-MalinalU, who had particular 
altars ; this festival was celebrated about the 
12th of September, called Macullli MalinallL 
The point of the triangle, which separates the 
sign of the day, 1 silex, from the sign of the 
night, or fire, is directed towards the first of 
the twenty asterisms of the signs of the zodiac, 
because, in the year 13 canes, the day 1 cipactli 
corresponds to the day of the autumnal equinox : 
about this time was celebrated a festival of ten 
days, the most solemn of which was the day 10 
0//m, or 10 Sun, which corresponds to our 16th 
of September. It is believed at Mexico, that 
the two compartments placed under the tongue 
