WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 397 
speaker, Teyawarunte, produced “the great old covenant Chain” 
of 21 rows, saying: “ Brother. This is the Covenant Chain delivered 
to the whole Six Nations by our late Superintendant in presence of 
Commissioners from nine Governments, which we have kept clean 
from rust, and held fast in our hands.” This was the conference of 
seven colonies at Albany in 1754, when Lieut.-Gov. De Lancey de- 
livered this belt to the Six Nations on their behalf, Johnson being 
present. The chain belt was then explained in the following man- 
ner by De Lancey: “ This represents the King our common Father 
—this line represents his arms extended, embracing all us the Eng- 
lish and all the Six Nations—These represents the Colonies which 
are here present and those who desire to be thought present—These 
tepresents the Six Nations, and there is a space left to draw in the 
other Indians—And there in the middle is the line represented 
which draws us all in under the King our common Father.” Vir- 
ginia and Carolina desired to be considered present. At a council 
at Fort Johnson in 1756 the speaker held this up, saying: “ HERE 
is the Covenant Chain Belt given to us by eight different govern- 
ments in the year 1754. We shall on our side keep our eyes upon it 
and take care that no rust shall injure it, and it shall never be broken 
on our side.” An earlier chain belt was given by Gov. Clinton in 
1746, along with war belts and belts of friendship. In the con- 
ference of 1755 the chain belt was called the union belt. Johnson 
gave another and different chain belt at the treaty of Fort Stanwix 
in 2766. ‘lt was briefly described as “ Belt of the Cov’ Chain 15 
Rows with human figures at each end.” A conference with the 
Six Nations and some of their allies in 1759 made another great 
belt necessary, After suitable words, Johnson “gave over the 
Cov't Chain Belt, which was a very large black belt, with the figures 
on it representing 10 Nations of Ind’ & the English.” 
John Long in his Travels alludes to another of the great Indian 
agent’s belts. “The wampum belts given to Sir William Johnson 
of immortal Indian memory, were in several rows, black on each 
side and white in the middle. The white being placed in the center 
was to express peace, and that the path between them was open and 
free. In the center of the belt was a figure of a diamond made of 
white wampum, which the Indians call the council fire.” 
