Chicchan; Chicchan and Caban; Caban and 13 Ix, and 13 Ix of the tenth
column and 3 Manik of the ninth column? If not, the columns do not form a
continuous series or must be taken in some other order.

Although Dr. Foerstemann discovered the order in which the series as a
whole was to be read, and also the common difference--given, as is his
custom, in days--he failed to furnish further explanation of the group.

In answer to the question presented I call attention to the following
facts:

Commencing again with the uppermost day, 3 Cib, of the tenth column,
lowest division, and counting on the calendar to 13 Ix of the same year,
the interval is found to be 10 months and 18 days, which is much more
than the interval between 3 Cib and 3 Manik (first of the ninth column),
and of course cannot be included in it.

Reversing the order in reading the columns, but counting forward on the
calendar as usual, we find the interval between 13 Ix and 3 Cib to be 2
months and 2 days, and, what is another necessary condition, the
intermediate days of the column are included in this period in the order
in which they stand, if read upwards. The interval between 3 Cib,
uppermost day of the tenth column, and 13 Chicchan, bottom day of the
ninth column, is 2 months and 9 days. The sum of these two intervals is 4
months and 11 days, as it should be on the supposition that the entire
columns follow one another in regular succession. This proves beyond
question that the columns are to be read from _bottom_ to _top_ and that
they follow one another from _right_ to _left_. This enables us to fix
the week numbers to the intermediate days and to determine the day to
which the entire series is referred as its starting point. The days and
their numbers of the tenth and ninth columns of the lower division,
writing them in reverse order, that is, from bottom to top, are as
follows: 13 Ix; 3 Caban; 11 Chicchan; 8 Men; 3 Cib; 13 Chicchan; 3 Lamat;
11 Cib; 8 Cimi; 3 Manik.

These numbers hold good throughout the series.

Commencing with 13 Ix, the lowest day of the tenth column, lower
division, but first day of the series, and ending with 13 Akbal, the
bottom of the first column, middle series, the time embraced is 5 years,
1 month, 0 day, less 4 months and 11 days--that is, 4 years, 14 months, 9
days (years of 360 days being understood). This is easily proved by
counting on the calendar 4 years, 14 months, and 9 days from 13 Ix, as it
brings us to