394 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
remained in the keeping of the Penn family. In March 1857, it 
was presented to the Pennsylvania historical society by Granville 
John Penn, a great grandson of William Penn.”—Holmes, p. 253-54. 
So mtich for its history. Im his address on its presentation 
Mr Penn said its dimensions were greater than those used on. 
ordinary occasions, being 18 rows deep, that the two figures clasp- 
ing: hands signified a treaty, that one of these wears a hat and must 
be a European, and that its long continuance in the family leaves 
no doubt of its genuineness. The last is the only strong point. 
It is a fine but moderate sized belt of less than 3000 beads, shown 
in fig. 173, and many larger and wider ones are on record in un- 
important councils. A treaty is signified, but the supposed hat ap- 
pears as an undoubted Indian’s head on another belt, where similar 
figures are seen joining hands. Aside from its history there would 
be no hesitation in placing it in the middle of the 18th century, to 
which both figures and sloping lines belong. Besides its preserva- 
tion two other points in its favor may be mentioned. One of 
these is the relative proportion of purple and white beads, though 
the Onondaga-United States covenant belt is of the same character 
in this and other things. The other is that Conrad Weiser de- 
scribed a similar belt in 1748, as already stated, which he was then 
told belonged to the end of the preceding century. Evidently the 
Penn belt had never been shown him. However these facts may 
affect its history incidentally, there can be little doubt it is the 
oldest wampum belt but one now in America, and it may well be 
prized as such. | 
Fig. 171 shows an earlier belt now in the county clerk’s office 
in Kingston (N. Y.) of which a small picture appears in the History 
of Kingston, by Marius Schoonmaker, p. 40. It was given by the 
Esopus chiefs at a treaty in 1664, and is laid up with the record. 
There are three gaps in it, and it has no pattern, being made en- 
tirely of white beads. It is six rows deep and about 130 beads long. 
The style of belts of which the Penn and the Onondaga covenant 
belt are among remaining examples became somewhat frequent 
about the middle of the 18th century. The supply of wampum and 
the use of belts seem to have lessened for a time, but revived won- 
