Authorised Guide to the Tower of London by W. J. Loftie
page 16 of 37 (43%)
page 16 of 37 (43%)
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few years the floor below has been used for the later arms, but the
lighting of the rooms and their shape, with various other causes, prevent any strictly chronological arrangements of the collection, many objects of which also belong to long periods of time. The arms and armour are now placed on the two upper floors of the White Tower, the earlier weapons and all the armour, being on the top floor, while the later weapons and the Indian arms and armour, with various personal relics, are placed on what is the third stage or second floor. To this the visitor ascends by a circular staircase in the south front of the Tower. At the foot observe a brass plate recording the finding in 1674 of the supposed remains of the "Princes in the Tower," Edward V and his brother Richard Duke of York. The visitor then enters the Chapel of St. John, and on leaving passes into the smaller of the two rooms on this floor. At the end of the room is a Persian horse armour of brass scales connected by chain mail. Near this is the quilted armour of the Burmese General Maha Bundoola, killed in 1824. At the other end of the room is a large bell from Burmah, presented by the late General Sir William Gomme, G.C.B., and near it are two figures with Japanese armour, one of them presented to Charles II when prince by the Mogul. It is interesting as being one of the earliest examples of Eastern armour which has an authentic record of its presence in this country, and it also exhibits the persistence in early forms so common in the East. The cases on either hand contain weapons, helmets, and armour from most parts of our Indian Empire, as well as weapons from Cabul, Persia, Africa, America, and the South Seas. Some of these were presented by the Honourable East India Company, some were acquired by purchase after the Great Exhibition of 1851, and others have been added at various times. In the centre of |
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