He adds, that although the intercalated day had not a place in the order of the symbols of the days of the year, but was thrust in, as it were, like an interloper, still it gave a name (or character) to the bissextile year, having most solemn feasts reserved to it, which, even in the third age, were sanctioned by the emperor or king of those provinces; and they were held in honour of the god Xinteuctli, "lord of the year," with great preparation of viands and sumptuous dances, in which the lords alone danced and sang; and for this reason they were called "the songs and dances of the lords." In the same bissextile year was held the solemn ceremony of piercing the ears of the girls and young men, it being reserved for the high-priest to execute that function, assisted by godfathers and godmothers.

In the 27th paragraph of the observations he says, that there was in the third age another mode of intercalating, applied only to the ritual calendar, and that, in order not to disturb either the perpetual order of the fixed feasts, or of the sixteen movable feasts, which circulated among the symbols of the days of the year, by (or for the sake of) counting twice the symbol of the last month of the bissextile year, which caused them much anxiety on account of the displeasure of their gods, it was held better to reserve the 13 bissextile days for the end of the cycle of 52 years; which (days) are distinguished in their wheels or tables by thirteen ciphers, (painted) blue or of some other colour; and they belonged neither to any month nor any year, nor had they particular or individual symbols, like the other days. It was with them as if there were no such days, nor were they dedicated to any of their gods, on which account they were reputed "unfortunate." The whole of those 13 days was a time of penitence and fasting, for fear that the world should come to an end; nor did they eat any warm food, as the fire was extinguished through the whole land till the new cycle began, when the ceremony of the new fire was celebrated.

But as all these were matters relating only to rites and sacrifices (not to the true computation of time), this mode of intercalating had no application to the natural year, because it would have greatly deranged the solstices, equinoxes, and beginnings of the years; and the fact is abundantly proved by the circumstance that the days thus intercalated (at the end of the cycle) had none of the symbols belonging to the days of the year, and the ritual calendar accounted them bissextiles at the end of each cycle, in imitation, though by a different order, of the civil bissextiles, which (as being more accurate) were more proper for the regulation of public affairs.

AN ALMANAC, ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO THE CHRONOLOGICAL CALCULATION OF THE ANCIENT INDIANS OF YUCATAN, FOR THE YEARS 1841 AND 1842, BY DON JUAN PIO PEREZ.

Observations.—The notes or remarks utz, yutz kin, a lucky day, lob, u lob kin, an unlucky day, signify that the Indians had their days of good and of ill fortune, like some of the nations of ancient Europe; although it is easily perceived that the number of their days of ill fortune is excessive, still they are the same found by me in three ancient almanacs which I have examined, and found to agree very nearly. I have applied them to the number, not the name, of the day, because the announcements of rain, of planting, &c, must, in my opinion, belong to the fixed days of the month, and not to the names of particular days; as these each year are changed, and turn upon the four primaries, Kan, Muluc, Gix, and Cauac, chiefs of the year. In another place, however, I have seen it laid down as a rule that the days Chicchan, Cimí or Kimí, Oc, Men, Ahau, and Akbal, are the days of rest in the month; and this appears probable, as I see no reason why there should be so great an excess of days of ill fortune. In the almanacs cited above, this order was not observed, either from ignorance or excessive superstition.

Thus the days on which the burner takes his fire, kindles it, gives it free scope, and extinguishes it, are subject to the 3d, 4th, 10th, and 11th of the days Chicchan, Oc, Men, and Ahau; as they say, for example, that on the 3d Chicchan the burner takes his fire, on the 10th Chicchan he begins, the 4th Chicchan he gives it scope, and the 11th Chicchan he extinguishes it; the same may be said of Oc, Men, and Ahau; from which we see that these epochs are movable, as the days 3, 4, 10, and 11 do not always fall on the same days of the month, but only according to the combination of the weekly numbers with the days referred to.

It may be asked, who is this burner that takes his fire, kindles it, permits it to destroy, and extinguishes it? To this I cannot reply, as I have been unable to find an explanation of the mystery; perhaps the days specified might be days of sacrifice, or some other act of superstition.

1ST INDIAN MONTH, "POP," OF THE YEAR 1 KAN.

Pop. July.
1. Kan.1Hun Kan, utz licil u cutal, Pop (good, as the beginning of Pop).16
2. Chicchan.2Ca Chicchan, utz u tial pakal (good for planting).17
3. Quimí.3Ox Quimí, lob kin (an unlucky day).18
4. Manik.4Can Manik, utz u tial pakal (good for planting).19
5. Lamat.5Ho Lamat, utz kin (a good day).20
6. Muluc.6Uac Muluc, utz kin (6 Muluc; a day).21
7. Oc.7Uuc Oc, utz u tial ahguehob (good for hunting; for the settlers).22
8. Chuen.8Uaxxac Chuen, yutz kin, kal ikal u chibal tok (good day; without wind).23
9. Eb.9Bolon Eb, u lob kin ( 9 Eb; a bad day).24
10. Been.10Lahun Been, yutz kin (10 Been; a good day).25
11. Hix.11Buluc Hix, yutz kin (11 Hix; a good day).26
12. Men.12Lahca Men, yutz kin (12 Men; a good day).27
13. Quib.13Oxlahun Quib, u lob kin (13 Quib; an unlucky day).28
1. Caban.14Hun Caban, u lob kin (1 Caban; an unlucky day).29
2. Edznab.15Ca Edznab, yutz kin, licil u zihil ahmiatz yetel ahdzib hunob (good day; in which are born writers and wise men.)30
3. Cauac.16Ox Cauac, yutz kin (a good day). (good for planting).31
4. Ahau.17Can Ahau, yutz kin ti almehenob; yalcab u kak ahtoc (a good day for the nobles; the burner gives the fire scope).Aug. 1
5. Ymix.18Ho Ymix, u lob kin (a bad day).2
6. Yk.19Uac Yk, u lob kin (an unlucky day).3
7. Akbal.20Uac Akbal, yutz kin (a good day).4