r having had speech with the
King, at which they went at once to the house of a friend of theirs,
and I saw that the King took little account of them, and it was
because, as I knew afterwards from the mouth of the King, they were his
enemies...."

Avendano Makes Inquiries as to their Manner of Reckoning Time. "I told
them that I wished to speak to them of the old manner of reckoning
which they use, both of days, months and years and of the ages, and to
find out what age the present one might be (since for them one age
consists only of twenty years) and what prophecy there was about the
said year and age; for it is all recorded in certain books of a quarter
of a yard high and about five fingers broad, made of the bark of trees,
folded from one side to the other like screens; each leaf of the
thickness of a Mexican _Real_ of eight. These are painted on both sides
with a variety of figures and characters (of the same kind as the
Mexican Indians also used in their old times), which show not only the
count of the said days, months and years, but also the ages and
prophecies which their idols and images announced to them, or, to speak
more accurately, the devil by means of the worship which they pay to
him in the form of some stones. These ages are thirteen in number; each
age has its separate idol and its priest, with a separate prophecy of
its events. These thirteen ages are divided into thirteen parts, which
divide this kingdom of Yucathan and each age, with its idol, priest and
prophecy, rules in one of these thirteen parts of this land, according
as they have divided it; I do not give the names of the idols, priests
or parts of the land, so as not to cause trouble, although I have made
a treatise[9.5] on these old counts with all their differences and
explanations, so that they may be evident to all, and the curious may
learn them, for, if we do not understand them, I affirm that the
Indians can betray us face to face."[9.6]

Avendano Explains the Prophecies. "The said cacique pretended
ignorance, answering me that he did not understand these computations,
but I, in case what he said was true, in order that he might understand
them, explained them very minutely; and in order that he, if he did
understand them, should not twist their meaning (as they are accustomed
to do) with some of their superstitions, undertook with much pleasure
the work of sitting down at length with them, the King having come at
this time, (f