PRIMITIVE AMERICAN ARMOR. 645 



&amp;lt;. 



Padded armor has been of widespread adoption. In Mongolian 

 countries it survived to a recent date. The Korean armor (fig. 5*) 

 will give an idea of this type. 

 Prescott says, in reference to the Peruvian armor : 



Men s bodies were protected by casques made either of wood or the skins of wild 

 animals, and sometimes richly decorated with metal and with precious stones sur 

 mounted by the brilliant plumage of the tropical birds. * * * Men s defensive 

 armor consisted of a shield, or buckler, and a close tunic of quilted cotton, in the 

 same manner as with the Mexicans. t 



Probably not very different from the cuirass of hide of the northern 

 tribes. 



Hansard tells us the Spaniards invented felt covering for their horses 

 as a protection against Floridan arrows, j: He also states that 



The Spaniards, who fight on horseback with the Indians of those provinces, carry 

 a doublet well lined with cotton wool. 



It may be surmised that the Spaniards introduced this style of 

 armor both into Mexico and Peru. 

 Dr. Brinton, in his &quot; American Kace,&quot; says of theTarascosof Michoacan : 



Nowhere else do we find such complete defensive armor. It consisted of helmet, 

 body pieces, and greaves for the legs and armsy all-trf wood, covered neatly with 

 copper or gold plates, so well done that the pieces looked as if they were of solid 

 metal. 



The following excerpts, arranged geographically, describing armor 

 from other tribes not represented by extant specimens, are introduced 

 here to show the range of armor in America. 



The Nass Indians of the Tsimshian stock follow the other stocks on 

 the Northwest Coast in that 



Their war garments were formed of 2, 3, or more folds of the strongest hides of 

 the land animals they were able to procure. In the center was a hole sufficient to 

 admit the head and left arm to pass through, the mode of wearing them being over 

 the right shoulder and under the left arm. The left side of the garment is sewed 

 up, but the right side remains open ; the body is, however, tolerably well protected, 



*This consists of a coat, helmet, and wide belt made up of many thicknesses of 

 coarse cotton cloth covered with yellow stuff. The coat is made up of two wide 

 flaps connected by a band which passes over the left shoulder. These flaps are cut 

 out to fit the neck, and are tied at either side. A plastron of cloth is hung over the 

 chest. The surface of portions of the coat is printed with Sanscrit dharaui, or 

 prayers for victory. A belt resembling those worn by Korean women at the present 

 time, but much thicker, is tied around the waist. The helmet is padded, and is 

 stiffened by four perpendicular bands of iron riveted through the cloth and termi 

 nating in a brass ball at the apex. Visor, small ; wide and heavy &amp;lt;5paules, one at 

 either side at the back. The helmet has also Sanscrit dharani written upon it. 

 Length oi coat, 34 inches; width, 30 inches; length of belt, 54 inches; width, 11 

 inches; height of helmet, 12 inches. (Cat. No. 128344 U. S. N. M. Korea. Deposited 

 by Dr. Gr. Brown Goode ) 



tPr-jscott, Conquest of Peru, 1, p. 67. 



t Hansard, History of Archery, p. 23. 



Benzoui, History of the New World, Hakluyt Soc., p. 8. 



