Note 49 — SYMBOLS OF THE CARDINAL POINTS.

Dr. Brinton, “The Maya Chronicles,” p. 53, informs us that “the division of the katuns was on the principle of the Belran system of numeration, as xel u ca katun, ‘thirty years;’ xel u yox katun, ‘fifty years.’ Literally these expressions are, ‘dividing the second katun,’ ‘dividing the third katun,’ xel meaning to cut in pieces, to divide as with a knife.” This appears to be the idea intended in the figure of the Cortesian plate.