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Show , H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. nooK vr. ~ ancient painting in the poffeffion of Dr. Siguenza (b). The century was reprefented by a wheel divided into fifty-two figures, or rather by four figures which were thirteen times defigncd. They ufed to paint a ferpent twified about the wheel, which pointed out by four twifis of its body the four principal winds, and the beginnings of the four periods of thirteen years. The wheel which w~ here prcfent, is a copy of two others, one of which was pub] ifhed by Valades, and the other by Gemelli, within vvhich we have reprefented the fun, as was generally done by the Mexicans. In another place we !hall explain the figures of thefe wheels in order to fatisfy our curious readers . S P. C T, X XIX. Y<· n r~ nnd months of the hi:tpaucfc, The method adopted by the M xitans to compute months, years, and centurie , was, as we have already mentioned, common to all the poli{hed mtions of Anahuac, without any variation amol)g them except in the names and fi gures (c). The hiapanefe, who, among the tl'ibutaries to the crown of Mexico, were ~he moil: difi:ant from the capital; infieau of the names and the figures of the Rabbet, the Cane, Flint, and Houfe, made ufe of the names l7otan, Lambat, Been, and China11, and inil:cad of the names of the Mexican days, they :1.-· dopted the n:tmes of twenty illutl:rious men among their ancdl:ors, among which the four nan:es above mentioned, occupied the fame place that the names Rabbet, Cane, Flint, and Houfe, held amongtl: the Mexican days. The Chiapanefe names of the twenty days of the month were the following: 1. Mox. 2. Igh. 3· VOTAN. 4· Ghanan. 5· Abagh. 6. Tox. 7. J...foxic. 8. L ANIBAT. 9· Mob, or Mi't!u. I o. lila/.;. II. Batz . r 2 . Euo/.1. (h) Three copies of the Mexican year have been publiOJctl . The lirft th llt of Vnladils, the Ci cond th at of Sigucrw.:t, publifhcd by t·mclli, and the rhird rhat of Hotu rini, pu bl ifhcd at .McJ. ico, in 1770. In tluu of Sigucn7.:r, within the wheel of the century , :rppca rs that of the: yc_ar ; and in tha.t of Valadcs, 11'ith in both whee ls, th at of the month is n;prdcntcd. \ \'c have lcparatcd them to make them more intelligible. (c) l.loturini fay s, th.tt the lnd iar1s of the dioccf·: of Oua:xnc:f made th eir year confl(l. of thirteen ml')uths ; l.Jur it mnfr hal:c beetl th eir :til1onomical or t:i l' il rem·, and not th.,ir rcligi. ous yca,r, 1.3· BEEN. .PI.J'!. titl.l.l'ot~" !J,f)l/ . f i·n1111r. ' |