ar of three hundred and sixty
days, made up of twelve months of thirty days each.

The Aztecs divided their cycle of fifty two years, into four periods of
thirteen years; called TLALPILLI, and their month of twenty days, into
four sub-periods, or weeks, of five days. The cycle was called
XIUHMOLPILLI, which signifies, "the tying up of years." Each day of the
month had a separate _name_, derived from some animate, or inanimate
object, as _Tochtli_, a rabbit, _Calli_, a house, _Atl_, water,
_Tecpatl_, Silex, _Xochitl_, a flower, _Cohuatl_, a serpent. The fifth
day, was a fair or market day. The names of the days were represented
by hieroglyphic figures of the objects described. The divisions were
perfect and regular, and enabled them to denote, in their scrolls of
picture writing, the chronology of the month, and of the Tlalpilli, or
period of thirteen years.[10]

[10] As to the market day or week of five days, Sir Wm. Jones and
Sir Stamford Raffles, tell us that the same period, existed, for
the same purpose, in India. In the symbols for days, we find four
to correspond exactly with the zodiacal signs of India, eight
with those of Thibet, six with those of Siam and Japan, and
others with those of the Chinese and Moguls.

The scheme itself denotes, not only a very certain mode of keeping the
record of time, but a very exact knowledge of the tropical year. It is
now known that the length of the year is precisely three hundred and
sixty five days, five hours, forty eight minutes, and forty eight
seconds; and it is perfectly well ascertained, that the Aztecs computed
its length, at the period of their highest advance, at three hundred
and sixty five days, five hours, forty six minutes, and nine seconds,
differing only two minutes and thirty nine seconds from our own
computation.[11] There is evidence, indeed, that the ancient
inhabitants of this continent, had more science, than is generally
conceded. If we are to credit writers, the Aztecs understood the true
causes of eclipses, as well as we do. Diagrams exist, in their
pictorial records, in which the earth is represented as projecting its
disc upon the moon--thus indicating, clearly, a true knowledge of this
phenomenon. Mr. Gallatin remarks that the Indian astronomical system,
as developed in Mexico, is not one of _indigenous origin_, but that
they had, manifestly, received it, at least their calendar, from a
foreign source. Its resu