Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 5).djvu/77

 with raw hide, to which is attached the leather arm-slings. This can be seen in our illustration of a third (Fig. 1463), a somewhat later targe in the collection of Mr. W. C. Crewdson. As we have already discussed the true Scottish claidheamh-mor in volume ii, pages 302-310, and referred more than once to arms peculiarly Scottish, we may perhaps be allowed to quote verbatim an interesting, and, we think, reliable note of mid-XVIIIth century date, which we found attached to one of the crude Scottish weapons originally in Carlton House Armoury. The language is simple:

Dated 1692. Collection: H.M. the King, Windsor Castle

Early XVIIIth century. Collection: H.M. the King, Windsor Castle

"It is well known that the Highlanders go about almost constantly armed, partly with a view of being always ready to defend themselves or to attack their enemies, and partly that being accustomed to the instruments of death they may be less apprehensive of them. Among the weapons they in general carry about with them are a broadsword, a pistol, and a dirk. The broadsword is held not in the belt, but under the left arm, the scabbard being thrown away in action; the dirk and pistol are worn in a belt on each side of their purses when they go to battle. They are also armed with a target and musket, and their mode of fighting is to discharge their musket at the usual distance, which they then drop on the ground. Approaching nearer, they fire