The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-06

si0 S"HuipuHon, TIE shortest time in which the
circuit Of the building can be accomplished.
From appearances the rush to the Crystal Palace
ts Increasing. The nearer the work advances to
wards completion, the larger will be the number
daily registered upon the turn stiles at the entrances
few more specimens Of sculpture were added
yesterday to the ltain department, consisting prn-
&Pahy o. mantels from the ship Centaur.
ADMISSIONS AND RECEIPTS.
Admned on single tickets. s............3,6 3 ,669
6nSnMed Ga on season tickets ...".......: i $50
BRITISH DEPARTMENT.
AOkG ADO ABOUT THE ARMS FROM THE TOWER OF
LONDON.
After the first comhats which man had with man
they commenced to improve their arms of aggression
and of defence. The arms of aggression were in the
beginning the plain club, which was changed into a
club with heavy nut at one end. The next arm Of
aggression was the spear, thrown by hand against
the enemy at a distance. Then came the bow and
arrew; and the more mankind advanced in civza-
hcn. and commenced to use iron and other metals as
implements of agriculture they used those metals as
arms, and introduced the sword, which, from the
skoat sword Of bronze of the ancient Egyptians and
Greeks, and the iron Of the Romans has altered and
improved until the present time, when man uses no
complete defensive armor, but where the sword is
used bsth as an aggressive and defensive arm.
The club had received during the course of centu-
res different changes, till we find the battleaxe Of
the ansient Gauls, mentioned by julius Caesar The
bas&e axes Of that time clubs from four to five
feet long, with four iron spikes or stone hammers at
one end. Afterwards they received four or more
sharp blades of iron, which changed by degrees into
the mace, doing fearful execution in hand to hand
coubats. They were made during the Crusades with
irsa handles, about two feet long; others had the
shape Of hammers, called naytelde fer; Others again,
axes with very sharp blades and of many other diff
ferent shapes.
Those maces which had at one end heavy ball,
with iron spikes all around it, that it had the shape
Of stGr were called morning stars. Sometimes they
had attached another small ball with spikes in it, by
means Of q short chain. These morning stars were
IN general use among the brave mountaineers Of
Switzerland and did fearful execution in their bat
ties against the German Emperors their oppressors
The spear was in the beginning piece Of strong
and elastic wood, about six to eight feet long; one
end of it was made little harder by burning and
cooling 1t off in water; after short time bones and
stones were used as heads; then came the bronze
and last the iron and steel spear heads Samples Of
each kind may be seen in the collection Of arms
from the Tower of London, in the west nave Of the
Pulase. The shape Of the spear head has been
altered in the different ages, and accordingly has
had different names. The length of the spears was
made according to the different uses for which they
were intended. Those with which the warriors
foughtin hand to hand combat were called lances,
and GENERALLY twelve to sixteen feet long; the others,
which were used for throwing at distances. were
~, o;v IN o;o foat nd ioyo
shafts Of both lances and javelins were straight,
and tapering towards the point. The shape Of the
head was more like a lancet. In the middle ages,
when men, on account of their armor, were less agile,
the shaft Of the lance was altered; it had a'shouder
about three feet from the lower end, and to give
good hold to the hand, it was made thinner for
about eight inches down; farther down, the shaft
Was made little thinner again, and then ran down
te8 nearly point; the head was made square, and
not very sharp. These lances were only used by
knights on horseback and only the weight Of man
and HORSE and their agility, decided generally the
encounter.
The footmen and servants of the knights had long
hnoes. some with battle axes attached, others small
knives across the spear head and different other ad
doas, until in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
they changed into partsans and the halberts. Some
of these were in some armies used by non-conmis
stoned officers as late as the year 1881. At present
only the ancers and cossacks have lances no other
troops in the regular armies them. The ances Of
ancers are shorter than those Of the cossacks, and
have besides small pennant.
The bows were made Of hard wood, with a cord
from the fbres Of plants the entrails Of animals
The arrows were like the ances, of wood, with bone
bronze, iron and steel heads, and at the other end
with feathers, to give them steadier direction.
The FIRST crossbow appears to have been made in Ge-
noa, and introduced into England by Richard /.
They were improved until the invention of gunpow-
der and general introduction of firearms which sent
missiles greater distance, with more force and ac-
curacy. thereby putting them out of use. Sings
were also used in oden times for missiles, but have
long been abolished.
Among the ancents the inhabitants OF the Balearic
islands distinguished themselves by their expertness
in the use of sings. They did excellent service in
Hannisals wars against the Romans, and after their
suhjugation, to the Romans themselves. They were
trained children in the use of their national
arms; and it is told that child had very often to go
without any meals II he was not able to fetch an ap-
ple, pear or other fruit from the tree with it.
Arms of defence were the shield helmet breast
plate; ana later, arm, snlBn unu snln-pateS; anu
lastly, the gauntlet,
The shields appear to have been used before any
of the other arms of defence. They were generally
made OF wickerwork, with skins of animals drawn
tightly over them; afterwards wire, with skins, and
then entirely Of iron and other metals They had
many different shapes. The Egyptians had square
shields, sometimes rounded of at the top, and will
hole in the upper end SO that the warrior kneelint
behind the shield, could see the movements Of hi
enemy. The Grecians had round shields, If we refe