WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 345 



In William C. Reichel's Memorials of the Moravian church, p. 32, 



is an account of the string of wampum given to Count Zinzendort. 



A note says: 



This string of wampum was carefully preserved for the use of the 

 brethren in their subsequent dealings with the Six Nations. On 

 his return to Europe the count handed it over to Spangenberg, who 

 gave the following receipt, written in Lamb's Inn (Broad Oaks), 

 county of Essex, England, March 10, 1743: "This is to certify 

 that Brother Ludwig has entrusted to me the token of a covenant 

 ratified between him and the Five Nations or Iroquois, (which kind 

 of token the Indians call fathom or belt of wampum) consisting of 

 186 beads, — given him by said Iroquois on the 3d day of August, 

 1742, on his return from the Indian country, — this, I say, is to 

 certify that he has entrusted it personally, and in the presence of 

 sundry eye-witnesses, to my safe keeping and for judicious use; 

 which I desire hereby to testify by my own name in writing, with 

 the promise not to give it into other hands, unless otherwise ordered. 



Augustus S. Spangenberg. 



De Schweinitz, in the Life and times of David Zeisherger, says of 

 this wampum : " Spangenberg brought it back to this country, and 

 it was often employed in subsequent negotiations with the Iroquois." 

 This seems probable but is not very clear. Bishop Spangenberg 

 does not refer to it in the journal of his visit to Onondaga in 1745, 

 nor is it mentioned when Cammerhoff was there two years later. 

 Other strings were then employed. 



The Oneida chiefs Abram Hill, gave the writer some wampum 

 in 1878, with explanations of much that he had. Most of the large 

 collection of strings and loose wampum was his own. There were 

 no belts, nor were these often used in recent years on public oc- 

 casions, many writers to the contrary notwithstanding. Most of 

 his wampum was the black or purple, the white being now quite 

 rare. Many of the strings were over a foot long, and some double 

 that length. It may be doubted whether his arrangement was that 

 invariably used^ but the notes are given as taken at the time. 



Six strings of purple wampum represented the Six Nations. 

 These were united at one end, and the free ends were decorated wi:h 



