588 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETITNOLOGY [Burx. 137 



hardly pierce them" (Bourne, 1904, vol. 2, pp. 137-138). Biedma 

 mentions these shields, and Elvas also, though neither states of what 

 they were constructed (Bourne, 1904, vol. 2, p. 26; Robertson, 1933, p. 

 159). A little later we learn that "shields made of raw cowhide" 

 were found in the town of Pacaha (Robertson, 1933, p. 173). 



Byington says that the most ancient name for this implement in 

 Choctaw was tilikpi and that it was later called telihpa. It "was 

 made of stiff hide of a cow, or of an alligator" (Byington, 1915, p. 

 350). In the northeastern part of our chosen territory we hear of 

 another kind of shield made of bark. Hariot (1893, p. 36) mentions 

 this. Smith says, "For their wars also they use Targets that are 

 round and made of the barkes of trees" (Smith, John, Tyler ed., 1907, 

 p. 112), and Strachey: 



Targetts they have, though not many, nor every where; but those they have 

 are made of the barkes of trees, rownd and thicke ynough to keepe out an 

 arrovve. (Strachey, 1849, p. 106.) 



Spelman, curiously enough, extends the term "tomahawk" to them : 



Ther Tomahaueks for defence which are shields made of the barke of a tree 

 and hanged on ther leaft shoulder to couer that side as they stand forth to 

 shoote. (Smith, John, Arber ed., 1884, p. cxvii.) 



We are also told that the "Massawomeckes" and "Sasquesahanocks" 

 had shields but are not informed as to the material (Smith, John, 

 Tyler ed., 1907, pp. 148-149). Leathern targets were in the pos- 

 session of the "Oustack Indians" (Alvord, 1912, p. 160). Du Pratz 

 includes the buckler in an Indian's war equipment. He says it was 

 "made of two round pieces of bison leather bound together, of a 

 diameter of a foot and a half." He adds, however, that it was 

 almost confined to the northern Indians and that "one does not see 

 it among those of the south" (Le Page du Pratz, 1758, vol. 2, pp. 

 420-425; Swanton, 1911, p. 129). For Plasinai shields, after the 

 Hasinai had become horse Indians, see Margry (1875-86, vol. 5, p. 

 502) and Swanton (1942, p. 147). 



ARMOR 



References to body armor are so scanty that one wonders whether 

 the few we seem to have are to be relied upon. The most import- 

 ant of these is from Ranjel, who tells us that, besides shields, the 

 Spaniards saw in the temple of Talimeco "breastplates like corse- 

 lets and head-pieces made of rawhide, the hair stripped off" (Bourne, 

 1904, vol. 2, p. 101). After speaking of the bark shields of the Caro- 

 lina Indians, Hariot (1893, p. 36) adds that they were also possessed 

 of "some armours made of stickes wickered together with thread." 

 This construction recalls the cane shields so vividly that one won- 

 ders, in the absence of any later evidence regarding this armor, 

 whether the objects he saw were not really shields. 



