the Ah-cuch-haab" found in the book
of Chilan Balam, which he has kindly allowed me to use. This is shown in
Fig. 9.

[Illustration: FIG. 9.--Calendar wheel from book of Chilan Balam.]

In this (smaller circle) we see that Kan is placed at the top of the
cross, denominated _Lakin_, or east; Cauac at the right, _Nohol_, or
south; Muluc at the left, _Xaman_, or north; and Hiix at the bottom,
_Chikin_, or west.

Although this shows the marks of Spanish or foreign influence, yet it
affords corroborative evidence of the correctness of the view advanced.
The upper and larger circle is retained only to show that the reading
was around to the left, as in the Cortesian plate.

This result of our investigations, I repeat, forces us to the conclusion
that _a_, Fig. 7, is the symbol for east, as stated in my former work,
_b_ of north, _c_ of west, and _d_ of south.

Among the important results growing out of, and deductions to be drawn
from, my discovery in regard to these two plates, I may mention the
following:

_First._ That the order in which the groups and characters are to be
taken is around to the left, opposite the course of the sun, which
tallies with most of the authorities, and in reference to the Maya
calendar confirms Perez's statement, heretofore mentioned.

_Second._ That the cross, as has been generally supposed, was used among
these nations as a symbol of the cardinal points.

_Third._ It tends to confirm the belief that the bird figures were used
to denote the winds. This fact also enables us to give a signification
to the birds' heads on the engraved shells found in the mounds of the
United States, a full and interesting account of which is given by Mr.
Holmes in a paper published in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of
Ethnology.[50] Take for example the three shells figured on Plate
LIX--reproduced in our Fig. 10--Nos. 1, 2 and 3. Here is in each case
the four-looped circle corresponding with the four loops of the
Cortesian and Fejervary plates, also with the looped serpent of the
Mexican calendar stone, and the four serpents of Plate 43 of the Borgian
Codex. The four bird heads on each shell are pointed toward the left,
just as on Plate 44 of the Fejervary Codex, and Plates 65 and 66 of the
Vatican Codex B, and doubtless have the same signification in the former
as in the latter--the _four winds_, or winds of the four cardinal
points. If this supposition be correct, of which there is scarcely roo