tween every two on the inside of the snake were twelve small
divisions, among which the four first names or figures were successively
distributed, giving every one its number to thirteen, which was the
number of years that composed an indication; the like was done in the
second indication with the same names from one to thirteen, and so in
the third and fourth, till they finished the circle of fifty-two years.
* * * From what has been said above, there arise several doubts; the
first is, why they begin to reckon-their years from the south; the
second, why they made use of the four figures, of a rabbit, a cane, a
flint, and a house."

He then goes on to state that the Mexicans believed the sun or light
first appeared in the south, and that hell or inferno was in the north;
then adds the following:

"Having found this analogy between the age and the year, they would
carry the similitude or proportions on further, and, as in the year
there are four seasons, so they would adapt the like to the age, and
accordingly they appointed _Tochtli_ for its beginning in the south, as
it were, the spring and youth of the sun's age; _Acatl_ for the summer,
_Tecpatl_ for the autumn, and _Cagli_ for his old age or winter.

"These figures so disposed were also the hieroglyphicks of the elements,
which is the second doubt; for _Tochtli_ was dedicated to _Tevacayohua_,
god of earth; _Acatl_ to _Tlalocatetuhtli_, god of water; _Tecpatl_ to
_Chetzahcoatl_, god of air; and _Cagli_ to _Xiuhtecuhil_, god of
fire. * * *

"The days _Cipactli_, _Michitzli_, _Ozomatli_, and _Cozcaquauhtli_ are
companions to--that is, in all respects follow--the order of the four
figures that denote the years of an age, viz, _Tochtli_, _Acatl_,
_Tecpatl_, and _Cagli_, to signify that every year whose symbol is
_Tochtli_ will have _Cipactli_ for the first day of the month; that
whose symbol or distinctive mark is _Acatl_ will have _Michitzli_ for
the first of the month; _Tecpatl_ will have _Ozomatli_, and _Cagli_ will
have _Cozcaquauhtli_."

Clavigero[29] agrees with Gemelli in reference to the correspondence of
the year symbols with the first days of the years, and inserts the
following remark in a note:

"Cav. Boturini says that the year of the rabbet began uniformly with the
day of the rabbet, the year of the cane with the day of the cane, &c.,
and never with the days which we have mentioned; but we ought to give
more faith to Siguenza, who was certainly bett