Spent some time to look further into the use of leather in the rugged Spanish colonial frontiers, it seems that while the central purpose was to protect from Indian arrows, there were likely more utilitarian reasons as well.
One narrative notes "...I more than anyone, reached here torn and scratched to pieces by the terrible thorn trees (cactus)along these same trails".
c.1769
This account may well refer to the regions of Sonora desert, which I spent some time in near Tucson, Arizona last year. The dense and tortuous vegetation is unbelievable even today, and I cannot see how anyone could get through it without terrible wounds.
Many of the soldiers wore a sort of cow hide apron pinned to the head of the saddle and down both sides as 'armas' or 'defensas' protecting legs and thighs in this merciless brush.
In an interesting side note, these leather coats had some drawbacks also, as they were of course not rainproof, so in sudden rainstorms (well known in these deserts) they soak up water like sponges multiplying the weight as they dried, and worse, terribly stiffened as they dried.
The foregoing of chain mail used by the conquistadors to these leather jerkins is interesting as the chain mail weighed about 15 lbs., while these leather jackets weighed in at about 18 lbs. With rain....one can imagine.
From what I have found so far, there were not huge numbers of these presidial soldiers in Alta California, and thier presence in these frontier regions lasted from about the opening of the 18th century (possibly earlier) until about the 1820's at the latest, as I understand.
While examples of the adarga (leather shields) exist as well as other leather accoutrements, I suppose the locating of one of these cuera is a bit more difficult, as these may have been less likely to have survived.
There does seem the possibility that there may be an example in the Smithsonian, uniforms and equipment dept. We'll see.
All best regards,
Jim
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