50 COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



emitting a loud and sonorous report upon being struck. Various 

 circular or globular stones, some bored, were doubtless used to attach 

 to the ends of clubs to give greater force to the blow. A few rough 

 figures in this material and a number of axes were also shown. 

 Pottery was represented by a collection of vases, jars, and plates in 

 red and black clays ; also masks of the same material. Several speci 

 mens of copper, usually in the form of axes or hatchets, indicated 

 that this material was employed for objects of utility. 



A valuable collection, including relics both in copper, stone, bone, 

 and wood, was exhibited by Mr. August Cousin. The general character 

 of the specimens was similar to those in the collection of the Govern 

 ment, and in many instances the workmanship deserved special atten 

 tion from its perfection and artistic inspiration. 



Minister Flores personally exhibited a curious collection of ethno 

 graphic articles presented to him, when President of that Eepublic, by 

 a chief of the nation of the Macas. They included a whistle of clay, 

 vases of the same material, stone axes, head dresses of feathers and 

 skins, ornaments for the ears, collars of teeth and other substances, 

 and the instruments for boring the ears. 



Within the limits of Ecuador the Jivaro Indians reside, celebrated 

 for their skill in extracting the bones from the human head, and drying 

 the soft parts and the hair in such a manner as to preserve them per 

 manently. These heads they cherish as trophies. An interesting 

 specimen was contained in the collection- deposited by Senor Brao y ue 

 Linan, consul-general of Ecuador to Spain. 



Quite a number of the vases in pottery exhibited were of consider 

 able size, some of them resting upon feet, others pointed at the end like 

 the Greek vases and evidently for the same purpose, that is, that they 

 might be placed securely in sand or soft ground by inserting the pointed 

 extremity. Many of them were plain, others were in animal forms of 

 in rude representations of the human figure. 



Several cases in this collection were filled with coins and medals 

 struck at various times by the Government of the Eepublic. 



DEPARTMENT OF PERU. 



From the Republic of Peru only a small and unsatisfactory exhibi 

 tion was made, considering the unusual riches which that country 

 offers in articles of American antiquity. It consisted of about fifty 

 specimens in pottery of the ordinary forms and texture which are so 

 familiar from that country. A few objects in silver and gold compared 

 uufavorably with the much richer display from Ecuad or. There were 

 also some idols in wood, and various textile materials from cotton, 

 wool, and the product of the vicuna. These were supplemented by a 

 somewhat larger series from several private collections, consisting 

 mainly of specimens of pottery of black clay obtained from the coast 



