CHAPTER VIII.
A DISCUSSION OF DATES, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THOSE OF THE PEREZ MANUSCRIPT.
As I have heretofore touched upon this topic, I must ask the reader to refer to what is there stated, that I may dispense with repeating it here. But it is proper to remind him here that having proven, at least satisfactorily to myself, that the Ahau consisted of twenty-four years, this number is always to be understood whenever this period is mentioned in this discussion. In the second place, I start with the understanding that a 13th Ahau closed with the year 1542. I have already given my reasons, somewhat at length, for this conclusion. I may add that Dr. Valentini, in his article on the Perez Manuscript, arrives at the same conclusion. Brasseur[1] also concludes the 13th Ahau with the year 1542, as he gives the following explanation: "Dans le XIII Ahau Katun, cest-a-dire, entre les années 1618—1542"; thus counting twenty-four years to this period, notwithstanding his repeated statement elsewhere that it contained but twenty. We may therefore feel assured that we have in these dates—the 24th year of the XIII Ahau ═ A. D. 1542—one connecting link between the two chronological systems; and also that the author of the Perez Manuscript was correct in stating that at the period alluded to—the year 1536—"six years were wanting to the completion of the 13th Ahau."
In order that the reader may have before him as much of the data bearing upon this point as can be conveniently given here, I insert at this point a copy of the Perez Manuscript in the original, following it with the English translation.
- ↑ Hist, des Nat. Civ., II, 594, note 1.
