The next question which arises is, What is the starting point from which this number is counted? Just below it the student will note the date 3 Ix 7 Tzec, which from its position would seem almost surely to be either the starting point or the terminal date, more probably the latter. Assuming that this date is the terminal date, the starting point may be calculated by counting 12,438,810 _backward_ from 3 Ix 7 Tzec. Performing this operation according to the rules laid down in such cases, the starting point reached will be 9 Kan 12 Xul, but this date is not found in the text. The red number in the first serpent is 4.6.11.10.7.2, which reduces to-- 4 × 2,880,000 = 11,520,000 6 × 144,000 = 864,000 11 × 7,200 = 79,200 10 × 360 = 3,600 7 × 20 = 140 2 × 1 = 2 ---------- 12,466,942 {274} Assuming that the date below this number, 3 Cimi 14 Kayab, was its terminal date, the starting point can be reached by counting backward. This will be found to be 9 Kan 12 Kayab, a date actually found on this page (see pl. 32), just above the animal figure emerging from the second serpent's mouth. The black number in the second serpent reads 4.6.9.15.12.19, which reduces as follows: 4 × 2,880,000 = 11,520,000 6 × 144,000 = 864,000 9 × 7,200 = 64,800 15 × 360 = 5,400 12 × 20 = 240 19 × 1 = 19 ---------- 12,454,459 Assuming that the date below this number, 13 Akbal 1 Kankin, was the terminal date, its starting point can be shown by calculation to be just the same as the starting point for the previous number, that is, the date 9 Kan 12 Kayab, and as mentioned above, this date appears above the animal figure emerging from the mouth of this serpent. The last Serpent number in plate 32, the red number in the second serpent, reads, 4.6.1.9.15.0 and reduces as follows: 4 × 2,880,000 = 11,520,000 6 × 144,000 = 864,000 1 × 7,200 = 7,200 9 × 360 = 3,240 15 × 20 = 300 0 × 1 = 0 ---------- 12,394,740 Assuming that the date below this number, 3 Kan 17 Uo,[263] was its terminal date, its starting point can be shown by calculation to be just the same as the starting point of the two preceding numbers, namely, the date 9 Kan 12 Kayab, which appears above this last serpent. [Illustration: FIG. 85. Example of first method of numeration in the codices (part of page 69 of the Dresden Codex).]