52 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the Indians used to bring in their medals to have them made over 

 into gorgets and armlets. McLachlan, 2:4 



Mr McLachlan quotes the earliest mention of medals in Canada, 

 in 1670-71, from volume 4 of the Archives of that country: 



A savage of the Sault, (Caughnawaga), named Louis Atouata, 

 godson of the King, who preserves as a precious thing the medal of 

 which his Majesty made a present to him. 



A medal was struck about 1670, for the friendly Indians of Vir- 

 ginia, but had no relation to New York, while most French medals 

 came there at one time or another. 



Mr McLachlan also describes a medal of 1693, in five sizes. The 

 obverse has " the head of Louis 14, with flowing hair, and on the 

 reverse those of his son the dauphin and the three sons of the latter.'' 

 But one original is known, but restrikes have been made. This 

 writer also quotes an account of medals used in Canada in 1723, and 

 placed after death on the biers of Indian chiefs. 



In another paper in the Proceedings of the American Numismatical 

 and Archaeological Society of New York, 1883, p. 17-20, he gave two 

 quotations not found in O'Callaghan's New York colonial docu- 

 ments. Governor Vaudreuil wrote thus Sep. 21, 1722: 



I have received the letter with which the council has honored me, 

 and the twelve medals bearing the portrait of the King; eight small 

 and four large. I have continued to be careful not to be too lavish 

 with this favor among the Indians, and to give them only to those 

 who by their services to the nation deserve them, and to those whom 

 I desire to bind to our interest by this mark of honor. 



The reference is to an established custom. He quotes also from 

 Beauharnois under date of Aug. 25, 1727: 



Since the death of M. de Vaudreuil, the Rev. Father Jesuits have 

 not asked medals for the chiefs of the settled Indians, for whom it 

 was customary for them to ask some. The Rev. Father de la Chasse, 

 to whom the Marquis de la Vaudreuil had given one, tells me it is 

 absolutely necessary to provide some more. I have received proof 

 of this. The Indians from above, when they come down to 

 Montreal, would not relieve me from promising them to several who 

 have served us well among their tribes. I pray you to enable me to 

 satisfy these savages, and to send me a dozen small medals and six 

 large ones. 



