METALLIC IMPLEMENTS OF NEW YORK INDIANS -45 



long and the greatest width is at the base, wheiL' it is I inch 

 wide, tapering thence nearly to the ]toint. Flanges extr^nd half- 

 war on each side. 



Recent copper and brass implements 



The New York aborigines were not slow to see the advan- 

 tages of metallic articles of all kinds, whatever they may have 

 had before Hudson's voyage. His account of thfir coppor 

 tobacco pipes may be compared with incidents in GosnohFs 

 voyage a little before, along the Xew England coast. It is by 

 no means improbable that some European articles had already 

 found their way to them, but opportunities at once became 

 greater. The Dutch soon followed Hudson's lead to the upper 

 waters of the river, and earlv trade mav be said to have com- 

 menced there rather than in the harbor of Xew York. We mav 

 dismiss the mythic Tawasentha council as far as the Iroquois 

 are concerned. Their eastern boundarv reached onlv the west 

 line of Albanv countv, and the hostile Mahikans held the west 

 bank of the river till Van Eensselaer purchased the land on 

 both sides. It is quite likely the Mohawks soon contrived to 

 trade on or near the river, but thev had no treatv with the 

 Dutch when Corlaer (Arent Van Curler) visited them in 1642, 

 nor is there anv evidence of anv till 1645. Adriaen Van der 

 Donck said: '^ In the year 1645 we were employed with the ofifi- 

 cers and rulers of the colonv of Rensselaerw^vck in negotiating a 

 treaty of peace with the Maquas, who were and still are the 

 strongest and fiercest Indian nation of the country; whereat the 

 Director general William Kieft on the one part, and the chiefs 

 of the Indian nations of the neighboring country on the other 

 part, attended." The Mahikans had then removed to Xew 

 England. 



Preliminarv to this first formal council with the Mohawks, Cor- 

 laer said in 1642, he " brought presents there, and asked that we 

 should live as good neighbors, and that they should do no harm 

 to either the colonists or their cattle, to all of which the sav- 

 ages at the three castles gratefully agreed." Three years later 

 the treaty was made. The Mohawks of the first castle may 



