FOURTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I907 



109 



consists of six diagonal bars of white beads, three bars on each 

 side of a central cross, the arms of which radiate from a central 

 square composed of eight white beads. The beads are strung on a 

 vegetable twine, probably hemp. 



The belt is said to have come from Oldtown, Maine, where it had 

 been held by the Penobscot Indians. It is said to be of Iroquois 

 manufacture and to be a " condolence belt." It is a command and 

 summons to a condolence council at Onondaga, represented by the 

 central cross. 



A wristband of modern stringing is another wampum piece of 

 interest. It is said to have been an old Mohawk wristband which 

 has been restrung to preserve the design, the original warp having 

 decayed and become broken. 



The Archeologist secured on the reservations several ceremonial 

 wampum strings of considerable interest. One is a string of purple 

 beads hung from a streamer of black ribbon in five strands of thirty- 

 two beads each. At the end of each string is a small piece of deer- 

 skin. This wampum is said to have been a Seneca condolence 

 string, that is a string used in the ceremony of a mourning council. 

 Another string of purple wampum divided in two strands is repre- 

 sented as the " death horns." It was held by a sachem until his 

 death when it was passed to his successor in office as a symbol of 

 name and office. 



A string of mixed purple and white beads arranged in two strands 

 is a " name." One strand consists of beads arranged as follows : 

 2 purple, I white, 2 purple, i white, 2 purple, 2 white, 4 blocks the 

 same, then 5 purple, 2 white, ending with i purple bead held on the 

 string by a small knot of yellow ribbon. The other strand consists 

 of bars of 4 purple beads with a white bead interposed between. A 

 faded purple ribbon holds the beads on the linen string. 



A " runner's " or messenger's summons composed of 50 purple 

 beads strung on gut and tied to a notched stick is a condolence 

 council call. There are four notches on the stick which mean that 

 four days' time is given in which to appear at the council. 



A Canadian string of mixed disk wampum and colored beads 

 forms an interesting mate of the disk string secured in 1898 by 

 Mrs H. M. Converse. The string is strung on heavy cotton thread 

 and there are knots of colored ribbon tied at intervals. Mr M. R. 

 Harrington who secured this piece says that it is the last Tutelo 

 name string and obtained with great difficulty. The Tutelos are an 

 adopted captive tribe originally of Siouxan culture. 



