140 FOSSIL MEN. 



mentioned by the early Spanish adventurers as an 

 abundant and valued possession of the chiefs. Next 

 to this came polished and perforated pieces of the 

 shell of the pearl oyster and of other shells. The 

 solid columella of the great Strombus, and other large 

 univalves, was used by the Indians of the south. The 

 New England Indians used the hard shell of the 

 "Quahog" (Venus mercenaries), the purple spot at the 

 posterior end of the shell forming the more precious 

 blue wampum. The more northern coast tribes some- 

 times used the shells of the great Clam (Mactra 

 solidissima). The inland nations purchased wampum 

 from those of the coast, and, like the Coast Indians, 

 they used small shells perforated with holes. The 

 wampum of the Iroquois, and also of the Hoche- 

 lagans, was made of freshwater univalves, probably the 

 Melania. They also ground into perforated discs for 

 beads the pearly shells of freshwater Unios. The 

 Indians of the west coast use the long tubular shells 

 of the Dentalium. Copper beads and long bugles 

 were worked out of the native metal, and a cheaper 

 kind of bead was made of clay, moulded into orna- 

 meutal discs and baked. (Fig. 28.) Whatever the 

 form or material, wampum was in universal use for 

 ornament or dress, and as necklaces, bracelets, and 

 anklets, both among men and women. It was also a 

 medium of exchange, and was buried with the dead 

 as a possession valuable even in the world of spirits. 

 Champlain informs us that the Huron girls accumu- 

 lated strings of wampum for their dowry, and lavishly 



