This fact is sufficient of itself to authorize us to pronounce it a Maya document, a conclusion which we shall find strengthened as we proceed in our examination of its contents.
As what is known in regard to Mexican and Central American writings has been presented by Dr. Brinton in the Introduction, I will not go over the same ground here, but will confine myself to the special object in view, to wit: an explanation and discussion of what I believe to be real discoveries made daring my examination of the contents of this work.
As before stated, an examination of this manuscript is sufficient to convince any one at all familiar with Landa's characters that those here used are substantially the same, be their signification what it may. On almost every page are to be found columns of characters agreeing precisely with those given by him as representing the Maya days. These are generally placed at the left of the compartments or spaces containing the figures, and as a general rule there are five characters in a column. Another prominent feature is the great number of numeral characters—dots and short straight lines. These are found on every plate, often dozens on a single page.
The frequent occurrence of these day and numeral characters, often in connection, led to the belief that the work was a kind of religious calendar, a belief strongly supported by the character of the figures in the spaces. With this as the only opinion to hamper or aid me, as the case might be, I began the study of the Manuscript.
I was convinced that if I could form a correct idea of the general design of the work it would aid greatly in deciphering its characters. As the day and numeral characters seemed to afford the most direct road to this desired result, I began with these.
Brasseur de Bourbourg has designated the day columns "legends," believing them to contain a summary of what is written, or represented by the figures in the compartments to which they severally belong. That they are characters representing the Maya days he admitted, but as the names of these characters have each one or more significations, it was his belief that they were used to express this signification, and not simply as the names of days.
