WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 373 



center, and dividing the area into four equal parts. Its circumfer- 

 ence is marked with an inner circle, corresponding in width to the 

 cardinal parallels. Each division of the circle thus quartered has five 

 circles with a central dot. The latitudinal and longitudinal bands or 

 fillets have each four similar circles or dots, and one in its center 

 making 37. The number of these circles varies, however, on 

 various specimens. In the one figured there are 52." 



The form described by Schoolcraft is usually indented at the 

 edge, where each perforation begins, and the cross lines are some- 

 times omitted. The small circles and dots have no meaning, the 

 number being regulated by the space to be occupied. They were 

 apparently made by a small circular steel drill, having a central 

 point. The cross lines seem merely ornamental. As compasses 

 were used in other forms^ it is probable that these ornaments were 

 made by white men for the Indian trade, and they may be the round 

 shells used as presents in one New York council. The parallel 

 holes from edge to edge served to keep the necklace flat when 

 strung, and this feature is frequent in pipestone ornaments. These 

 disks have been found in New England, New York, Ohio, New 

 Mexico and many intermediate points, having been first used late 

 in the 17th century. In New York they disappeared when silver 

 ornaments came into fashion; and Mr Schoolcraft said that the In- 

 dians had no traditions concerning them. We are not in the dark, 

 for their occurrence in graves shows their precise use and age. 

 They had a later use westward. Lieut. Whipple procured a neck- 

 lace in New Mexico in which were three of these ornaments. 



Beverley, in his History of Virginia, p. 145, calls these runtees, 

 and says " they are made of the conch shell, as the peak is, only 

 the shape is flat and like a cheese, and drilled edgeways." Beverley 

 wrote in 1722, when the Iroquois had generally abandoned these 

 for silver ornaments, but they might be used longer near the sea- 

 shore. While American in origin, the New York specimens were 

 not aboriginal, nor can we assign them any early date in the matter 

 of double drilling, which was continued in many of the recent orna- 

 ments of red slate and pipestone that succeeded them^ or were con- 

 temporaneous. 



