126 



A STUDY OF THE MANUSCRIPT TROANO. 



'^^ 



*3 



attempt at true pictorial representation; yet I suggest as possible that the 

 latter, which was used in carving the Avooden images, may represent the 

 copper ax and the otlier the stone ax. Landa (Relacion §XXIX) says: 

 "They had little hatchets of a particular metal of this 

 form [Fig. 18c]. These they adjusted to a handle of 

 wood; in combat these served them as an arm; they were 

 also instruments used hi ivorking woody 



The spear or dart, and one method of throwing it, is 

 shown in Fig. 13 (page ?G), heretofore referred to. I judge 

 from this that a kind of hook or hand ballista was used to 

 give it more force. Something similar is shown frequently 

 in the Mexican Codices and, according to Valentini, on the 

 Berlin stone. The instrument in the other hand may be a 

 stick with a notch in it to guide the dart; the only reason 

 for doubting this is the bent form given the one figured on 

 ^^°- ^^- the next plate. 



The usual form of the spear as given in the Manuscript is shown in 

 Fig. 19a. This often has the head marked with the trembling cross similar 

 to that in Ezanab, probably denoting that it 

 was made of flint. r ■ 



The arrow, if such it be (as no bow is 

 found in the Manuscript), is generally figured 

 with the head in this form (Fig. 196), indi- 

 cating, if truly represented, that a flint was 

 thrust into the.split end of the shaft in the usual way; the other end of the 

 shaft was surrounded by two feather whirls. Possibly these are darts 

 throw^n by hand and not arrows. 



I have been somewhat surprised to find nothing in this work indicating 

 warfare, unless it be the figures which I have heretofore interpreted as 

 probably representing a play. Herrera, speaking of the expedition of Cor- 

 dova (Dec. 2, Bk. 1, chap. 3), says that, while at Cotoche, "there appeared 

 a multitude [of Indians] in armor made of quilted cotton, with targets, 

 wooden swords having edges of flints, large cutlasses, spears, and slings 



