254 AKT IN SHELL OF THE ANCIENT AMERICANS. 



sylvania at some one of bis treaties with the tribes that occai)ied the 

 province ceded to him. Up to the year 1857 this belt remained in the 

 keeping of the Penii family. In March, 1857, it was presented to the 

 Pennsylvania Historical Society by Granville John Penn, a great 

 grandson of William Penn. Mr. Penn, in his speech on this occasion,' 

 states that there can be no doubt that this is the identical belt used at 

 the treaty, aud presents his views in the following language : " In the 

 first place, its dimensions are greater than of those used on more ordi- 

 nary occasions, of which we have one still in our possession — this belt 

 being composed of eighteen strings of wampum — which is a ])roof that 

 it was the record of some very important negotiation. In the next 

 place, in the center of the belt, which is of white wampum, are de- 

 lineated iu dark-colored beads, in a rude but graphic style, two figures — 

 that of an Indian grasping witli the hand of friendship the hand of a 

 man evitlently intended to be represented in the European costume, 

 wearing a hat ; which can only be interpreted as having reference to 

 the treaty of peace and friendship which was then concluded between 

 William Penn and the Indians, and recorded by tlieni in their own 

 sira])le but descriptive mode of expressing their meaning, by the emjiloy- 

 ment of hieroglyphics. Then the fact of its having been preserved in 

 the family of the founder froni that period to the i)resent time, having 

 descended through three generations, gives an authenticity to the docu- 

 ment which leaves no doubt fif its genuineness; and as the chain and 

 medal wiiich were presented by tlie Parliament to his father, the admiral, 

 for his naval services, have descended amongst the family archives un- 

 accompanied by any written document, but is recorded on the journals 

 of the House of Commons, equal authenticity may be claimed for the 

 wampum belt confirmatory of the treaty made by his son with the 

 Indians ; which event is recorded on the page of history, though, like 

 the older relic, it has been unaccompanied in its descent by any docu- 

 ment in writing." 



It will be seen, by reference to the accompanying illustration, that 

 beside the two figures of men there are tliree oblique bands of dark 

 wampum, one on the left and two on the right. The one next the cen- 

 tral group on the right is somewhat broken, and consists of two long 

 bauds and one short one. It is probable that these bands were used to 

 record, by association, some important features of the treaty iu which 

 the belt was used. The beads are sti'ung upon cords made of sinew or 

 vegetable fibre, whi le the longitudinal fillets are of buckskin. This belt 

 may be seen at the rooms of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. 



' Tlie proceedings atteuding the i>respntatioii are' fully recorded ir. the Memoirs of 

 tlie Historical Society' ofPenusylvauia, volume iii, page '^07. A full size lithographic 

 illustration of the belt printed iu color is also given. 



