350 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



In speaking of this, William H. Holmes points out some historic 

 examples in which the quantity was moderately estimated. The 

 Onondaga belt which he cites is now 210 beads long by 50 rows 

 wide, containing about 10,500 beads in its imperfect condition, and 

 may have been double that size. In Barber and Howe's account 

 of the wampum manufacture in New Jersey in 1844, it was stated 

 that from 5 to 10 feet of wampum beads was a woman's ordinary 

 day's work. This would be an average of 375 small beads daily, 

 or about 112,500 for one person's yearly product. It was made in 

 several places, and from 50 to 100 persons would carry the annual 

 supply far into the millions. Furman says that several bushels of 

 wampum were taken from Oyster bay in 1831. Elsewhere this is 

 said to have come "from Babylon on this island, and the person who 

 had this stated that he had procured this for an Indian trader, and 

 that he was in the habit of supplying those traders with this wam- 

 pum." In the days of the Dutch colony the average value of wam- 

 pum was about 120 beads to the guilder. In 1664 Stuyvesant 

 wished a Idan of 5000 to 6000 guilders in wampum negotiated at 

 Albany to pay the laboring people. This would have required over 

 half a million beads and probably much more. In 1622 a Hudson 

 river chief paid a ransom of 140 fathoms of sewant. 



These few facts prepare us to understand the sudden abundance 

 of wampum in New York and Canada, and the astounding state- 

 ments in early New England history. Some of these are quoted 

 from Indian biography by B. B. Thatcher, without farther credit. 

 In treating with the Narragansetts in 1645 the commissioners, *'to 

 show their moderacon required of them but twoo thousand fathome 

 of white wampon for their oune satisfaction," besides some equally 

 mild conditions for Uncas. If the fathom is literal this would be 

 but about 576,000 wampumi beads. This was "moderacon" indeed. 

 .When 1300 fathoms were due, the Narragansetts sent into Boston 

 ICO fathoms, which trifling quantity of over 28,000 beads the com- 

 missioners would not accept, though 70 fathoms had been paid the 

 first year. A little later the Narragansetts brought in 200 fathoms 

 more. An allowance of 20 days for paying another thousand 

 fathoms was then granted. In 1649 the English acknowledged the 



