16 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



copper articles found in the mounds and ancient graves belong, 

 as may be readily seen by tliose who will inspect them, to two 

 usually very distinct classes; those of the one class evidently 

 hammered out with rude stone implements; those of the other 

 class showing as plainly that they have been made from quite 

 thin, smooth, and even sheets. — Tliomas, p. 710 



He has no doubt that some important mounds were made in 



quite recent times, and cites many early authorities to show 



how great a supply of metals was afforded to the Indians by 



European explorers, traders and colonists. In Virginia they 



were lavish with copper, and Smith said that in a short time 



goods ^' could not be had for a pound of copper which before 



was sold us for an ounce." — Smith, 1: 166. Strachev said that 



Powhatan wished to monopolize the copper trade: 



Whereas the English are now content to receive in exchange 

 a few measures of corn for a great deal of that mettell (valuing 

 yt according to the extreme price yt bears with them, not to 

 the estymacion yt hath with us), Powhatan doth again vend 

 some small quantity thereof to his neighbor nations for one 

 hundred tyme the value, reserving, notwithstanding, for him- 

 self a plentiful quantity to leavy men withal when he shall find 

 cause to use them against us, for the before-remembered 

 weroance of Paspageh did once wage fourteen or fifteen 

 weroances to assist him in the attempt upon the fort of James- 

 towne, for one copper plate promised to each weroance. — 

 Strachey, p. 103 



It appears that Powhatan had articles or pieces of native 

 copper, but thej were not abundant nor as beautiful as those 

 of the English, and so he coveted these. Capt. John Smith often 

 referred to this trade in coi)per and iron, but his most important 

 statement was in connection with his visit to the Tockwoghes 

 in 1608. These lived far up Chesapeake bay, and were at war 

 with the Massawomeks, a branch of the Iroquois family, and 

 probably a part of the Eries. The Susquehannas were friends 

 of the Tockwoghes, and of the latter he said: " We saw among 

 these people many knives, hatchets, and pieces of brass, which 

 they said they had from the Sasquesahanocks, a mighty people, 

 and mortal enemies to the Massawomeks." He elsewhere de- 

 scribes his visit with the Susquehannas, adding that, " many 

 descriptions and discourses they made us of Atquanahucke, 



