VOL. LXIII.3 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. ' 407 



ancient usages, have lost great part of them, and have blended some with our 

 customs, so as to render it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to trace their 

 customs to their origin. 



The Indians did certainly live under more order and government formerly, 

 than at present. This may seem odd, but it is true; for, their intercourse being 

 with the lower class of our traders, they learn little from us but our vices; and 

 their long wars, together with the imuKjderate use of spirituous liquors, have so 

 reduced them, as to render that order, which was first instituted among them, 

 unnecessary and impracticable. They do not at present use hieroglyphics; their 

 figures being drawn, to the utmost of their skill, to represent the thing 

 intended. For instance, when they go to war, they paint some trees with the 

 figures of warriors, often the exact number of the jiarty; and if they go by 

 water, they delineate a canoe. When they gain a victory, they mark the handle 

 of their tomahawk with human figures, to signify prisoners; and draw the bodies 

 without heads, to express the scalps they have taken. The figures which they 

 affix to deeds have led some to imagine, that they had alphabetical characters or 

 cyphers. The fact is this: every nation is divided into tribes, of which some 

 have 3, as the turtle, bear, and wolf; to which some add the snake, deer, &c. 

 Each tribe forms a little community within the nation; and as the nation has its 

 peculiar symbol, so has each tribe the particular badge from which it is denomi- 

 nated: and a sachem of each tribe being a necessary party to a. fair conveyance, 

 such sachem affixes the mark of his tribe to it, like the public seal of a corpora- 

 tion. With respect to the deed of 1726, of which you sent me the signatures, 

 the transaction was in some measure of a partial nature. All the nations of the 

 confederacy did not subscribe it ; and those chiefs who did, neglected to pay due 

 regard to their proper symbols; but signed agreeably to fancy, of which I have 

 seen other instances. The manner I have mpntionedis the .most, auihentic^ and 

 conformable to their original practice. ;•) rvlT .^)'»n'^ur>'».Ti(>*'> In s*!r:'FV y>- >;- 



As to the information which, you observe, I formerly transmitted to the 

 governor of New- York, concerning the belt and 15 bloody sticks sent by the 

 Missisagees, the like is very common; and they use these sticks, as well to 

 express the alliance of castles, as the number of individuals in a party. The 

 sticks are generally about 6 inches in length, very slender, and painted red 

 if the subject be war. Their belts are mostly black wampum, painted red when 

 they denote war. They describe castles sometimes on them, by square figures 

 of white wampum ; and in alliances, human figures holding a chain, which is 

 their emblem of friendship, and each figure represents a nation. An axe is also 

 sometimes described, and always imports war: the taking it up, being a declara- 

 tion of war; and the burying it, a token of peace. 



With respect to your questions concerning the chief magistrate, or sachem. 



