16 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
copper articles found in the mounds and ancient graves belong, 
as may be readily seen by those who will inspect them, to two 
usually very distinct classes; those of the one class evidently 
hammered out with rude stone implements; those of the other 
class showing as plainly that they have been made from quite 
thin, smooth, and even sheets.—Thomas, p. 710 
He has no doubt that some important mounds were made in 
quite recent times, and cites many early authorities to show © 
how great a supply of metals was afforded to the Indians by 
European explorers, traders and colonists. In Virginia they 
were lavish with copper, and Smith said that in a short time 
goods “could not be had for a pound of copper which before 
was sold us for an ounce.”—Smith, 1: 166. Strachey said that — 
Powhatan wished to monopolize the copper trade: 
Whereas the English are now content to receive in exchange 
a few measures of corn for a great deal of that mettell (valuing 
yt according to the extreme price yt bears with them, not to 
the estymacion yt hath with us), Powhatan doth again vend 
some small quantity thereof to his neighbor nations for one 
hundred tyme the value, reserving, notwithstanding, for him- 
self a plentiful quantity to leavy men withal when he shall find 
cause to use them against us, for the before-remembered 
weroance of Paspageh did once wage fourteen or fifteen 
weroances to assist him in the attempt upon the fort of James- 
towne, for one copper plate promised to each weroance.— 
Strachey, p. 103 
It appears that Powhatan had articles or pieces of native 
copper, but they were not abundant nor as beautiful as those 
of the English, and so he coveted these. Capt. John Smith often 
referred to this trade in copper and iron, but his most important 
statement was in connection with his visit to the Tockwoghes 
in 1608. These lived far up Chesapeake bay, and were at war 
with the Massawomeks, a branch of the Iroquois family, and 
probably a part of the Eries. The Susquehannas were friends 
of the Tockwoghes, and of the latter he said: “We saw among 
these people many knives, hatchets, and pieces of brass, which 
they said they had from the Sasquesahanocks, a mighty people, 
and mortal enemies to the Massawomeks.” He elsewhere de- 
scribes his visit with the Susquehannas, adding that, “many 
descriptions and discourses they made us of Atquanahucke, 
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