A PIECE OF AN OLD ARMOR. 67 



than one half of an inch in length. The metal had 

 suffered much from oxidation and the spaces between 

 the rings were filled with rust so thick that the whole 

 specimen was almost a solid mass. Unfortunately the 

 precious relic was lost. The author took the precau- 

 tion, however, to have it photographed soon after it 

 was found. So far as the author is aware, the object 

 itself was seen by only two parties who had a knowl- 

 edge of antiquities of this kind and who could be con- 

 sidered competent to identify it as a piece of chain 

 mail. It was shown to Dr. J. A. Enander of Chicago, 

 then on a lecturing tour in the west. He is regarded 

 as one of the best authorities in America on the antiq- 

 uities of the Northmen. This gentleman stated that 

 the metal fabric had a close resemblance to that of a 

 Swedish brjnja, the coat of mail used by the vikings. 

 It was also examined by Dr. John Ilundstrom, an 

 accomplished gentleman and naturalist residing near 

 Lindsborg at the time. He is well informed on European 

 antiquities since the time of his residence as a student 

 at the University of Lund in Sweden. In his judgement 

 the relic was a fragment of a piece of chain mail. 



On the surface of one of the mounds there were 

 picked up one or two perforated beads of blue glass. 

 Lying out in the open field on the opposite side of a 

 creek from the nearest farm house, built and occupied 

 by a lone bachelor, these beads are not likely to have 

 been lost by recent settlers. More probably they once 

 belonged to some inhabitant in the old village. It is 

 needless to say that the beads were made in Europe 

 or in some European colony in America. 



