WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 457 
Strings of Wampum I paint you as becomes Warriors.” He gave 
five large black strings. ‘“ With these Strings of White Wampum 
I feather your heads as is customary among you when engaged in 
war.” Four strings of white wampum. Other instances might be 
cited. 
There were notable occasions when Johnson departed from the 
significance of color, and he seems to have been partial to the 
precious black wampum. It did not mean peace but something of 
high importance. So he gave a peace belt of black wampum to a 
Chippewa chief at Niagara in 1759, and another black belt inviting 
him to trade at Niagara and Oswego. No intimation is there of a 
change of color. A war belt which he gave at Canajoharie the 
same year was painted. 
Tribute 
However strong the upper Iroquois may have been, the Mo- 
hawks were in a feeble condition till the arrival of the Dutch and 
the opening of trade. They at once bought guns and used them 
well. In an account of New Netherlands, written in 1646, we are 
told that “ 400 armed men knew how to make use of this advantage, 
especially against their enemies dwelling along the river of Canada, 
against whom they have now achieved many profitable forays, 
where before they had but little advantage; this caused them also 
to be respected by the surrounding Indians even as far as the sea- 
coast, who must generally pay them tribute, whereas, on the con- 
trary, they were formerly obliged to contribute to these.” In 1643 
a party of Malkans (Mohawks?) went to collect tribute of the 
W eckquaesgeeks in Westchester county, and of the Tappans west 
of the Hudson river. They were armed with guns. Not much 
later some Mohawks took Jogues with them when going to receive 
tribute from subject tribes. De Witt Clinton notes that the Mon- 
tauks paid tribute to the New England colonies by 1646, while the 
river and-shore Indians soon “ became subject to the Iroquois and 
paid a tribute in shells and wampum.” Colden records this also. 
When De Courcelles invaded the Mohawk country in 1666, he 
learned that they and the Oneidas had gone to war against those 
called wampum-makers. 
