250 ART IN SHELL OF THE ANCIENT AMERICANS 



this work, and am ouly sorry tliat 1 am unable to present them in color — 

 the only method by which they can be adequately shown. As those 

 which have come to my notice represent but a few localities, I shall in- 

 sert descriptions of a number from regions as remote as possible. There 

 is, however, great uniformity in design and method of construction ; the 

 result, probably, of their iuternational character. From Heckewelder 

 I quote the following: 



"Their belts of wampum are of dificrent dimensions, both as to the 

 length and breadth. White and black wampum are the kinds they use ; 

 the former denoting that which is good, as peace , friendship, good- will, 

 &c.; the latter the reverse; yet occasionally the black also is made use 

 of on peace errands, when the white cannot be procured ; but previous 

 to its being produced for such jjurpose, it must be daubed all over with 

 chalk, wliite clay, or auything which changes the color from black to 

 white. * * * ^ black belt with the mark of a hatchet made on it 

 with red paint is a war belt, which, when sent to a nation, together with 

 a twist or roll of tobacco, is an invitation to join in a war. * * * 

 Roads from one friendly nation to another are generally marked on the 

 belt by one or two rows of white wampum interwoven in the black, and 

 running through the middle, and from end to end. It means that they 

 are on good terms, and keep up a friendly intercourse with each other."' 



A belt accepted by the Indians of Western Pennsylvania from the 

 French in a treaty which secured to the latter four forts within English 

 territory had embroidered upon it four houses, pictographic represen- 

 tations of the forts. 



Another example of the b(ilts used in Pennsylvania, upwards of a 

 century ago, is described in Beatty's Journal. The Delawares, in ex- 

 plaining to Beatty a former treaty with Sir William Johnson, "showed 

 a large belt of wampum of friendship which Sir William Johnson had 

 given them. On each edge of this were several rowsof black wamj^um, 

 and in the middle were several rows of white wampum. In the middle 

 of the belt was a figure of a diamond, in white wampum, which they 

 called the council fire. The white streak they called the path from him 

 to them and them to him."^ 



Loskiel states that " the Indian women are very dexterous iu weav- 

 ing the strings of wampom into belts, and marking them with different 

 figures, perfectly agreeing with the different subjects contained in the 

 speech. These figures are marked with white wampom upon black, 

 and with black upon the white belts. For example, in a belt of peace, 

 they very dexterously represent, in black wampom, two hands joined. 

 The belt of peace is white, a fathom long and a hantl's breadth."^ 



In Plate XXXVII I present a fac-simile reproduction of a plate from 

 the well known work of Lafitau,'' in which we have a graphic yet 



' Heckewelder : Indian Nations, 1876, pp. 108-'9-'10. 



2 Beatty: Journal of Two Months Tour, 1768, p. 67. 



'Loskiel : Missions of the United Brethren. Trans, by La Trobe, 1794. Book I, p. 26. 



♦Lafitau: Moeurs des Sauvages Ameriquains, Tome, II, p. 314. 



