59 



require quantity of material, as well as iu being more oval. 

 It may be well to call attention here to the fact, that % 

 seems to have been unusual to attach a strap directly to the 

 buckle which fastened it. Two thin iron straps, about an 

 inch and a-half long, issued from the top of the buckle, as 

 in 21 and 21, between which the strap was inserted, and 

 attached by rivets. These iron straps were occasionally 

 ornamented, as we see in these two instances, where the 

 ornamental impression is precisely similar to the " tooling" 

 of a bookbinder. The first idea which suggests itself is, 

 the impolicy of attaching the strap in this way, as the 

 friction of metal on metal would be very great, and its ten- 

 dency would be great to accumulate rust. It is possible, 

 however, tbat experience may have shown that the 

 strain was better borne in this way ; and it is certain, that 

 the long period during which both parts of tbe metal have 

 remained good, should remove, in the present instance at 

 least, the accusation of corrosion. 



No. 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 are all buckles, or portions 

 of buckles, of a peculiar kind. It is clear, from an 

 examination of 2G, that it never was different from what it 

 is at present. In other words, it never had runner or tong, 

 or any other portion except what appears. My impression, 

 therefore, respecting its application is, that the strap of 

 leather was attached to the narrow part beyond the points, 

 leaving the larger space open for fastening. But what was 

 the kind of fastening or attachment is a question ; and an 

 answer is partly furnished by Nos. 28 and 29. The former 

 is evidently only a portion of some article, and the latter 

 is as plainly so too. Between them there was a swivel, the 

 remains of which are evident in No. 28 — to the one the 

 strap was attached, and the other constituted the fastening. 

 It passed through No. 20 longitudinally, and then, being 

 turned round, stood across transversely. A similar fixture 

 is seen in the common attach- 

 ment of a leathern hat case : a 

 horizontal opening is filled by a 

 horizontal piece of brass, which 

 tben turns round and stands ver- 

 Shut. tically, so as to present a suffi- 

 cient impediment to spontaneous 

 opening, even without the aid of 

 a padlock. No. 27 is evidently 

 a variety of 34, and No. 30 is 

 q ornamental specimen of 29. 



Open. 



