dred, a feather; and for eight thousand, a
purse or pouch. The following table represents the method of enumeration
employed by the Mexicans. But it is necessary to remark they used
different terminations for different objects.<62>

Illustration of Mexican System of Numeration.----------

Substantially the same system of numeration prevailed among all the
Nahua tribes and the Mayas. It will be seen from this table that the
only numbers having simple names are one, two, three, four, five, ten,
fifteen, twenty, four hundred, and eight thousand. The other names are
compounds of these simple names. It is also easy to understand their
method of pictorial representation. In reference to the flag, the
feather, and the purse, we must remark that, when these were divided
into four parts, only the colored parts were counted. The collective
number, used among them much as we use the word dozen, was always
twenty; but queerly enough their word for twenty varied according to
the object to be counted. The regular word given in the table was
"pohualli." In counting thin objects that could be arranged one above
the other, the word twenty was "pilli." Objects that were round and
plump and thus resembling a stone, were counted with "tetl" for twenty,
and other words for different objects.<63>

The division of time or their calendar system, is one that was thought
to show great advance in astronomical learning, but of late years it has
been shown that this also was overrated. This question of how to keep a
record of time was a difficult one for primitive man to solve; that is,
when he began to think about it at all. A long while must have elapsed,
and considerable advance in other respects been made before the
necessity of such a thing occurred to them. The increase and decrease of
the moon would form a natural starting point. It is well known that this
is about as far as the knowledge of the Indians extended. The Maya word
for month means also moon, showing this was their earliest system of
reckoning time.<64>

Illustration of Table of Days.--------------------

The various Nahua and Maya tribes of Mexico and Central America had
reached about the same stage of development. But their calendar system
is so similar that it affords a strong argument of the original unity of
these people.<65> All of the civilized tribes had months of twenty days
each, and each of these days had a separate name, which was the same for
every month