The adarga was of two thicknesses of raw bulls-hide, borne on the left
arm, and so managed by the trooper as to defend himself and his horse
against the arrows and spears of the Indians; in addition, they used a
species of apron of leather, fastened to the pommel of the saddle, with
a fall to each side of the horse down to the stirrup, wide enough to
cover the thigh and a leg of the horseman, and protect him when riding
through the brush. This apron was called the armas. Their offensive arms
were the lance, which they managed with great dexterity on horseback,
the broadsword, and a short musket, carried in a case. Costanso, who was
an officer of the regular army, bears testimony to the unceasing labor
of the presidial soldiers of California on this march, and says they
were men capable of enduring much fatigue, obedient, resolute, and
active; "and it is not too much to say that they are the best horsemen
in the world, and among the best soldiers who gain their bread in the
service of the king."[17]
It must be understood that the marches of these troops with such a train
through an unknown country and by unused paths, could not be long ones.
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