WAMPUM BELTS OF THE SIX NATIONS. 389 



WAMPUM BELTS OF THE SIX NATIONS. 



By W. M. Beauchamp, of Baldioinsville, N. Y. 



Some of these wampum belts of the Six Nations are remarkable for 

 their great width; a belt of 30 rows being called "a prodigious large 

 belt," while the widest of them contains 49 rows. 



No. 1, formed of white beads on dark ground of wampum, is about 

 half of a belt of 7 rows, supposed to have been brought by the French 

 missionaries. The "Long House" represents the Five Nations, and the 

 cross, the French. No. 2 is a belt of 7 rows, with 4 pairs of diamonds 

 remaining. No. 3 has 12 rows, and there are now 7 dark bars. No. 4 

 has a house in the center, with two small men inside. On one side 

 without, are seven men clasping hands; on the other, six. This is 

 several feet long, and contains 15 rows. No. 5 is considerably broken ; 

 it has 13 rows of beads and 4 bars. No. 6 is of 7 rows, quite long, but 

 not complete ; the general design is a series of dark crosses. No. 7 

 represents the league of the Iroquois. It is of 38 rows, having white 

 figures on purple ground. The league has but one heart,, and each 

 nation (a square) is united to that and each of the others. There are 

 but two squares on each side now. No. 8 is of 49 rows. The figure 

 shows about half of it. No. 9 is of 45 rows, about one-third of it is 

 here represented. No. 10 is of 7 rows, and has 5 hexagons, one for 

 each of the Five Nations. Both sides of the belts are alike, deerskin 

 thongs running through, the length of the belt, the shell beads being 

 sewed between. There are two others of 6 and 8 rows respectively, 

 without particular design. 



The outlines will give the general patterns accurately, but it would 

 be difficult to show their real beauty. The beads themselves are of deli- 

 cate colors, and the belts are very substantially made. 



