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Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. ferved them in place of writings. For things which are even by na-· ture tot~lly devoid of figure, or were difficult of reprefentation, they fllbfl:ituted certain charaCters ; but thefe · were not verb· I, or de(l:jned to form words like our letters, but re:ll charaCters immediately fignifi-· cative cf the things, fuch as the characters of afl:ronomers and algebraifis. That our readers may form iome idea of them, we have fubjoincd theN mneral charaCters of the " exicans, alfo thofe of Time, the Heavens, the Earth, Water, and Air (p). When they would reprefent any perfon, they painted a man, or a human head, and over it i figure exprc!Ting the meaning of his name, as appenrs in the figures of the Mexican kings. To exprefs a city, or a village, they painted in the fc.1me manner a figure, which fignjfied the fame thing with its name. To form their hiftories or annals, thef , painted orr the margin of the cloth or paper, the figures of the years·. in fo many fquares,. and at the fide of each fquare the event or events which occurred ,in that year; and if, on account of the number of years the hifiory of which they meant to relate, they could not all be contained in one canvas, they were continued in another. With ref .... pett to the order of reprefenting the years and events, it was at the liberty of the hiftorian to begin at which ever· angle of the piece he pleafed; but at the fame time conftantl.y obferving, tlut if the painting began at the upper angle on the right hand, he proceeded towards the left. If it began, 'vhich was moil: common, at the upper angle on the left hand, he proceeded ffrait downwards. ·If he painted the :firft year at the lower angle on 'the left, he continued towards the right;. but if he began at the lower. angle on the right, he prpceeded firait upwards; fo that on the upper part Cilf his canvas he never painted from left to right,. nor ever on the lower part from· right to left; never advanced upwards [rom the left, nor dbwnwards by the right. When this. method. of the Mexicans is undedlood,. it is eafy to .'dif<.:ov.er ar firft (p) RefpeCiing·the numeral charaaers, ids to be obfervcd, they painted as many points as· there 1\Cr~ units un.to ~wenty • ."Thia number has its proper chara,c:tcr. Then they doubled it £or 20 t>mes, that IS 400. Th1s charaCter was doubled in like man ncr, that is to Sooo. Then • they began to double the charaCter of 8ooo. With thofel three charaClers, and the points, they c:xprcfi'ed whatever number they chofe, at lcaO: to twcnfy times 8ooo, OF 1 6o,ooo, . But. it is. probable this. number had iu charaaers alfo. flgh.t; PI..YLf . •• • • 3 '/Ill/Ill' I 'll! (~llrtlt'lf'I'F, C• / / / . I ' 1 -;- , , 'J • . J''tr't' IIIYt . /'tl/to'r;J . E llr111 ( ( / 1/1 '/t•ttl ' •••••• |
