WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 407 
Ransom belt of wampum. This belt has been divided according 
to the old law. Ii a sachem or chief was captured and condemned 
to die, or a murder committed, a certain amount of wampum would 
ransom him. In this instance the captive must have been of 
prominence or of national importance, as the entire belt has been 
divided. How much of it is missing I can not determine positively, 
but, as the usual length of a wampum belt is about 3 feet, I con- 
clude that about one half.has been taken. The diagonals of white 
wampum signify the tribal fires or the eight clans of the Senecas— 
Wolf, Bear, Beaver, Turtle, Deer, Heron, Hawk and Snipe. This 
belt is exceptionally rare and has no duplicate. I obtained it 
from a direct descendant of Mary Jamieson—the celebrated white 
woman captive—in whose care it had been placed by the Senecas. 
Site suarded if till her death, when it reverted to her heirs, by 
whom it has been held till now—the fourth generation. It is one 
of the national belts of the Senecas—‘“ Harriet Maxwell Converse, 
Cattaraugus reservation, 23 June 1899” 
As above noted, the writer saw the rest of the belt a few woaie 
later. It presents no unusual features, and the five diamonds 
represent the Five Nations, the Tuscaroras being commonly 
omitted. Atonement was often made with strung wampum or other 
presents, which were given to the person or family injured, not to 
the nation as a rule. Atonement or ransom might be reiused. 
When belts were given to the nation, they seem to have been for 
the family, were reckoned at their money value, and were soon used 
as money. In this case Indian tradition seems to have widely de- 
parted from the original meaning. 
Fig. 245 is another fragment of a purple belt without figures, 
which is a little over 7 inches long by 2.75 wide. The depth is 10 
beads, and it is 77 beads long. Mrs Converse calls it the Corn- 
planter wampum belt, and says: 
This is a portion of the treaty, and should be kept with 
it always. The belt has been mutilated by dividing it 
among Cornplanter’s heirs at the time of his death. It 1s 
impossible to obtain any of the divided portions, the beads hav- 
ing been separated and arranged in strings for burials or councils. 
This remnant has never been separated from the treaty, and is a 
record of the history of the Five Nations. Cornplanter’s name and 
mark head the list of the chiefs who signed, and the treaty and belt 
were given to him to preserve for his people.—‘* 1/1. M. Converse. 
At the Cornplanter reservation, June 1899” 
