WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 395 
derfully under Sir William Johnson. He used both strings and 
belts with a lavish hand, multiplied emblems and ceremonies, and 
gave precision to many that were indefinite before. Union, chain, 
covenant, road, invitation, peace, war, scalp and other belts fre- 
quently appear. Belts became as abundant as they were a hundred 
years before, but often with new names. ‘This pleased the Iroquois 
greatly, and they often thanked him for reviving their ancient cere- 
monies. There can be no question that these enlarged under his 
wise direction. 
In his interesting letter to Arthur Lee in 1771, Johnson gives a 
few particulars regarding belts, of which he had handled and ex- 
plained hundreds. He said: 
As to the information wch you observe I formerly Trans- 
Mite to. tne picow of “N: York’ concerning the belt & 
i bloody iotcks sent by the 'Muississagaes,” Phe like’ is 
very Comon and the Ind use Sticks as well to Express the alliance 
of Castles as the number of Individuals in a party, These Sticks 
are generally abt 6 Inches in length & very slender & painted Red 
if the Subject is War but without any peculiarity as to Shape. 
Their belts are mostly black Wampum, painted red when they 
denote War, they describe Castles sometimes upon them as square 
figures of White Wampum, & in Alliances Human figures holding 
a Chain of friendship, each figure represents a nation, an axe is also 
sometimes described wch is always an Emblem of War, The Tak- 
ing it up is a Declaration [of war] and the burying it a token of 
Peace. 
There are other valuable observations on emblems used in 
other ways, as well as on language and customs in this letter, which 
will be found in the fourth volume of the Documentary history of 
the state of New York. | 
In 1756 the Six Nations produced ‘a prodigious large belt” 
given them in 1748 when Johnson entered on the management of 
their affairs. This had an emblem of the Six Nations joined hand 
in hand with the English. In 1756 the Six Nations presented a 
large covenant belt which was expressive of the sentiments of the 
Five Nations. This phrase was used because the Tuscaroras had 
not the same dignity as the rest. A speech accompanied the ex- 
hibition of this belt, which was not delivered to Johnson but was 
to be sent “to the Senecas, that from thence it may be conveyed 
