METALLIC IMPLEMENTS OF NEW YORK INDIANS 73 



Miscellaneous 



Prefatory to an account of a few miscollanoous metallic ob- 

 jects found on Indian sites, it may be "well lo montion some of 

 those of all kinds on which dnties were imposed in New York in 

 1GS6, and which were intended for Indian trade. Most of these 

 have the word "^ Indian " prefixed. 



They were Indian duffels, stronds, blankets, plain cottons, half 

 thicks, white Olembriggs, kettles, hatchets, hoes, red lead, ver- 

 milion, cotton, red kerseys, knives, shirts, shot, woolen stock- 

 ings, Indian haberdashery, drawing knives, looking-glasses, 

 wooden combs, beads, tobacco in roll, belts, scissors, jew's-harps, 

 Indian paints, drills, tobacco boxes, Tinsie lace, gimp lace, 

 needles, tobacco tongs, powder horns, Indian heales (steels). 

 In the law of 1692 white osend cloth takes the place of white 

 Olembriggs, and in that of 1699 it reads white Ozenbrugs Mel- 

 lish. Both have bells instead of belts, and this is probably 

 correct. Guns with all their parts afterward appeared among 

 treaty presents, adzes, shears and toys, powder and ball, bars 

 of lead, gun flints, shoes with and without buckles, hats, fans, 

 articles of shell, laced coats and hats, red coats, jackknives, 

 garters, tomahawks in 1714, silver medals, added to a large 

 trade in ornaments of silver and brass. 



Peter Stuyvesant wrote to the duke of York on behalf of 



the Dutch inhabitants, in 1667, in regard to this trade: 



Since the Trade of Beaver, (the most desirable comodity for 

 Europe) hath allwayes been purchased from the Indyans, by the 

 Comodities brought from Holland as Camper, Duffles, Hatch- 

 etts, and other Iron worke made at Utrick &<^ much esteemed 

 of by the Natives, It is to be fear'd that if those Comodities 

 should fail them, the very Trade itself would fall, and that the 

 ffrench of Canida, who are now incroach'd to be too neare 

 Neighbours unto us (as but halfe a days journey from the 

 Mohawkes) making use of their Necessities and supplying them, 

 thev will in time totallv divert the Beaver Trade, and then the 

 miserable consequences that will ensue, w^ee shall not have one 

 shipp from Europe to trade with us. — O'Callaghan, 3:161 



On this general question of use and supply the liberty is taken 



of quoting part of a letter from Mr S. L. Frey on recent articles 



