By the Rev. E. H. Goddard. 89 



5. Cross-bow catcli of bone, figured full size. It measures l^in. 

 in length, by lin. in breadth and lin. in height. The part dotted 

 in the figm-e is restored in plaster of Paris. It is pierced by a hole 

 for the iron spindle on which it revolved. 



6. The steel catch of an arbahst, or cross-bow of the sixteenth (?) 

 century,! sh()^\•ing how the catch is fixed in the stock — with the 

 groove for the bolt to lie in. It A\'ill be seen that this catch is 

 almost precisely similar to the Eoman example, except that it is of 

 steel and of a larger size. It is here re^jroduced one-half the size 

 of the original. When strung the string of the cross-bow is draT\ii 

 back and catches behind the upstanding teeth, the butt-end of the 

 aiTow or bolt lying between them. The catch revolves freely on a 

 central spindle, and, when the bow is stnmg, is kept fi-om tiu-ning 

 over by a trigger which catches a projection xuiderneath, shown in 

 the figui-e of the Roman example. As soon as this trigger is loosed 

 the catch instantly revolves on its axis, owing to the pressure of the 

 string ; the string is loosed and flies forward, thus propelling the 

 bolt ■nhich lies against it. It is curious that the mechanism of the 

 bone catch and that of steel should be so nearly identical when 

 one considers that one thousand years or more must have elapsed 

 between the dates of their respective manufacture. 



In addition to the objects figured, there were found a long and 

 very naiTOw knife blade of iron 4^in. long in the blade, 2^ia. in the 

 tang, and iin. wide — A second knife blade measuiing 3|^in. in the 

 blade and l^in. the tang — a large round-headed nail, with the point 

 clenched, 2in. long — a buckle ? — two small iron plugs ? — an iron 

 ring l^in. in diameter outside — two or thi-ee other pieces of ii-on — 

 and a cmious ii'on object curved, 4jin. long "nith two iron bars 

 projecting from it at right angles l^^in. in length. This piece of 

 iron stUl retains on its inner face ti-aces of the wood to which it was 

 fastened, and as it much resembles in shape the iron side pieces on 

 the stocks of some of the later cross-bows figured by MejTick, &c., 

 it seems not unlikely that it may have occupied the same position 



^ This figure is from a drawing kindly made by Mr. T. W. Leslie from au 

 arbalist in the possession of Mr. E. C. Trepplin, F.S.A. 



