232 ART IN SHELL OF THE ANCIENT AMERICANS. 



scarf about their shoulders and breasts. Yea, tlie princes make rich caps 

 and aprons, or small breeches of these beads, thus curiously strung into 

 many forms and figures; their black and white finely mixed together."' 



It is further recorded that tbe New England Indians " wore ear-rings 

 and nose-jewels; bracelets on their arms and legs, rings on their fingers, 

 necklaces made of highly polished shells found in their rivers and on 

 their coasts. Tbe females tied up their hair behind, worked bands 

 round their heads and ornamented them with shells and feathers, and 

 wore strings of beads round several parts of their bodies. Eound their 

 moccasins they had shells and turkey spurs, to tinkle like little bells as 

 they walked ."2 



The Indian women of the New Netherlands also gave great attention 

 to personal decoration. One writer states that they ornamented the 

 lower border of their skirts "with great art, and nestle the same with 

 strips, which are tastefully decorated with wampum. The wampum 

 with which one of these skirts is ornamented is frequently worth from 

 one to three hundred guilders. * * * Their headdress forms a 

 handsome and lively appearance. Around their necks they wear various 

 ornaments, which are also decorated witli wampum. Those they esteem 

 as highly as our ladies do their i^earl necklaces. They also wear bead 

 hand bands, or bracelets, curiously wrought, and interwoven with wam- 

 l>nm. Their breasts appear about half covered with an elegantly 

 wrought dress. They wear beautiful girdles, ornamented with their 

 favorite wampum, and costly ornaments in their ears.'" 



Smith states, in writing of Powhatan, that he found him "reclining 

 proudly upon a Bedstead a foote high, upon tenne or twelve Mattes, 

 richly hung with manie Ghaynes of great Pearles, about his uecke, and 

 covered with a great Couveriug of Eahaughcums,"^ and the young women 

 who surrounded him wore "a great Ohaine of white I'eades over their 

 shoulders."'' 



The following is from Wood, whose quaint and graphic descriptions 

 of the New England Indians are always interesting: " But a Sagamore 

 with a Humberd in his eare for a pendant, a black hawk on his occiput 

 for his phune, Mowhackees for his gold chaine, a good store of Wam- 

 pompeage begirting his loynes, his bow in his hand, his quiver at his 

 back, with six naked Indian spatterlashes at liis heels for his guard, 

 thinkes himselfe little inferior to the great Vhum; he will not stick to 

 saj' he is all one with King Charles. Uee thinkes hee can blow down 

 Castles with his breath and conquer kiugdomes with his conceit."" 



Du Pratz, in speaking of the Louisiana Indians, says: "The women's 

 ear-rings are made of the center part of a large shell called bingo, which 



'Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Socie'y, 1794, Vol. Ill, pp. 'i'.\\, 232. 



-Worsley, View the American Indians, p. Cj. 



^Collections of tbe New York Historical Society, 1841; vol. I, 2nd Series, p. 194. 



< Thought to be raccoon skins. 



^Smith : True Relation of Virginia, pp. 33, 34. 



6 Wood: New England Prospect, p. 74. 



