140 INDIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



N. The bronze head of a war-club, or six-pointed mace ; one of three discovered in a grave 

 in the province of Cuzco. Two are in fine preservation, but this is somewhat corroded. The 

 extreme diameter between two opjiosite rays is nearly four inches. The hole for the handle is 

 of one inch and an eighth bore, and slightly tapers; its depth is one inch and a quarter. A 

 collar is cast on the side towards the handle. (See the section W.) 



M has one of the rays lengthened and formed into a hatchet or war-axe, the blade of which 

 equals in hardness I and L. The rays are narrower than those of N. The side-view, on a 

 smaller scale, in the middle of the grouji, represents the same instrument. The third specimen 

 I have not thought it necessary to sketch. It resembled N; the rays were a little longer, and 

 not so thick. Though less in volume than either N or M, it was heavier and softer, being nearly 

 pure copper. It showed marks of hammering over its entire surface. 



It will be remembered that weapons identical with these are mentioned, by old historians, 

 among arms stored for public emergencies during the sway of the Incas. "Pikes, (says Garci- 

 lasso,) clubs, halberts, and pole-axes, made of silver, copper, and some of gold, having sharp 

 points, and some hardened by the fire." (Book I, chapter 8.) Carpenters, he observes, had 

 axes and hatchets of copper, and the sculptors cut stone with flints and hard pebbles ground 

 to an edge. (B. II, c. 16.) 



Bias Valera, one of the earliest Spanish writers, remarks that the copper which the natives 

 called anta, served them in the place of iron. Of it they made knives, carpenters' tools, pins 

 used by women on their heads and dresses, their polished mirrors, "and all their rakes and 

 hammers," so that they worked more in mines of copper than in others, preferring it to gold 

 and silver. It is very evident that this anta was bronze. Persons not practically acquainted 

 with it would jrjronounce it copper, from its resemblance to that metal. The native word was 

 probably expressive of its true character, but misunderstood by the invaders. 



0, P, Q, T, difier in form, yet were evidently designed for the same purpose, whatever that 

 was. They have been named whistles for want of a better ajipellation, because sounds resem- 

 bling those produced by the tube of a key, or by blowing into any small perforation, may be 

 drawn from them. A perpendicular hole is formed on the top of each, and across it a trans- 

 verse wire has been cast in a little below the surface. (See the sections 0', P', Q', T'.) The one 

 representing the head of an Indian (0) is the smallest. Solid, like the rest, its weight is less 

 than an ounce ; and, though corroded, the features are well defined. The truncated conical 

 cap is ornamented as figured; and the acullico in the mouth, or quid of coca, is shown by the 

 little bulb or swelling. 



P is one inch and a quarter high, and as wide across the widest part. It is of copper. At 

 two of its six sides, a couple of minute serpents of silver are inlaid. 



Q is a short cylinder, nearly an inch in diameter, and five-eighths of an inch thick. An 

 anchor-looking figure is sunk in at two opposite parts of the periphery. 



T is not unlike the mummy of a cat. It represents the animal "quinquincho;" is nearly two 

 inches long, rather over half an inch high, and weighs about a quarter of a pound. The metal 

 is shrunk at the under side, as if it had been poured into an open mould with that jiart upper- 

 most. 



S S'. A pair of spring pincers or tweezers, one inch and a quarter long. The metal is thick- 

 est at the bend. They are little better than a piece of sheet copper, bent like them. 



U. A rough ingot of bronze, sixteen inches long, nearly two inches wide at the middle, and 

 five-eighths of an inch thick. It was found with the war-clubs. It rings rather sharj), and 

 is of an alloy similar to the cutting instruments in the same group. 



