The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1897-12-28

THE ARMORES.

The first evidence of this tribe
are very faint, and indistinct, in
fact, they probably made only
short visits on fishing and hunt
ing expeditions into the country
at first, with no thought of per-
manent residence, then crowded
eastward by the ever-increasing
tribes of the sea coast and inter
vening country, they came here
and settled; that is along the
bank of Snake river, between
the mouth of Boise river and
American Falls. They were but
q small tribe, probably six or
seven hundred, but they were
very brave and warlike, and
were at all times engaged in
scirmmages with their neighbors
occupying the southern shore of
the river, swimming the river
like so many hungry wolves; or
ferrying over on RATS made of
driftwood they waged incessant
warefare on all corners, peoples
and classes.
Their weapons of defense and
offense were vastly superior to
those of any other people we
have seen; their strength was
prodigious; their endurance must
have been something wonderful.
They made a kind of armour
from which they get their name
of square pieces of horn with
holes drilled in each corner of
each piece, thereby laceing them
together with thongs, and wear
ing it in two thicknesses. One
thickness breaking the joints of
the other, making an almost in
penetrable protection against
any and all weapons used by
their enemies. Though not to
their own, for their bows were
so powerfully constituted that
they were quite capable of driv
ing an arrow entirely through
the body of a warrior, protected
by such a device. | believe their
bows would throw an arrow,
within a range of 100 to $50
yards, with force enough TO drive
it entirely through the body of a
deer. l have found the skulls
of buffalo with an arrowhead
sticking in one side of them,
point outward, and a ragged, ir-
regular hole, from the shaft
knock through to the opposite
side, with fragments of the
wood of the arrow remaining in
the path the head had travelled,
showing us how powerful was
the engine from which the dart
was hurled.
This people buried their dead
in caves and crevices, and trod
the body down with brush and
stones. Like all other tribes of
savages, they placed with the de-
ceased all his earthly possess
ions, and in these sepulchers, we
find weapons, cooking utensils,
remnants of skins, ornaments,
etc, that were in use and owned
by the deceased at the time of
his demise. There | have found
many pieces of their curious ar
mour, and once in particular, 1
found almost an entire suit, de-
cayed and dismembered, but
showing plainly how it was con-
structed, and considering the i'm
plements with which they manu-
featured it, it was a marvellous
piece of workmanship.
Their axes and hatchets were
very superior; so evenly Clipped;
so true in beAel, that it seems a
wonder that savages could be-
come so proficient in an art.
Their knives. arrow and spear
heads, were made with the same
neatness, that all their other i'm
| plements were accorded. They
wore head dresses made from the
scalps of the lower animals
heads of coyotes, fox, badger,
wolves, young buffalo, antelope,
and deer, with the horns polish
ed and carved deliberately. Mus
sci shells were polished and
strung on thongs and were used
for necklaces, belts, armlets, etc.
Feathers were worn profusely,
and were stained with native
bark, in all colors. Teeth of all
kinds of animals were used for
beads, and serpents, Lizards,
toads, etc., were skinned and
their pelts were converted into
ornaments. | have found neck
laces that were made entirely of
the heads of horned toads strung
together with sinew. Fish bon
es, claws of birds and animals,
pieces of brightly colored flint,
gnarled and twisted roots; or,