386 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



and the one next in position. The thread is then passed back along 

 the upper side of the cords, and again through each of the beads; 

 so that each bead is held firmly in its place by means of two 

 threads, one passing under and one above the cords. This process 

 is continued until the belt reaches its intended length, when the ends 

 of the cords are tied, the end of the belt covered and afterwards 

 trimmed with ribbons. In ancient times both the cords and the 

 thread were of sinew. 



This is a good account in general of the making of the belt pre- 

 pared for Mr Morgan at Tonawanda in 1850, and shown in fig. 241^ 

 but it has decidedly modern features. In most of those seen by the 

 writer the long strands were of buckskin and the edges neatly 

 braided or twisted. Common twine was sometimes used, but no 

 ribbons. The simple mode described of placing the beads is 

 correct. 



Loskiel, p. 27, said that " the Indian women are very dexterous in 

 weaving the strings of wampum into belts, and make them with 

 different figures perfectly agreeing with the different subjects con- 

 tained in the speech." An instance appears in the report of the 

 council in Easton in 1756, which was concluded before one im- 

 portant belt was ready. "Here the Governor gave the new belt as 

 far as it was made, and all the wampum prepared for it." He ex- 

 plained the proper figures "& desired the women might finish it on 

 rainy days^ or resting in their Journey." — Penn. Minutes, 7:218 



White men sometimes made belts. In the journal of John Hays 

 it appears that he was at Wyoming, May 13^ 1760. Being de- 

 tained there by bad weather, he "wrought at Makeing Belts and 

 Strings of our Wampum." He also made these entries: "14th. Very 

 Rainy Wether, so that we Could not set out. So we followed our old 

 Business of Belt making." "15th. Wether the Same, so that we 

 wer Oblidged to Ly by as Before and Alad Belts." — Pcnn. 3:735. 

 But for the unwelcome rain, we might not have known of this. 



On the whole it is probable that many early ornamental belts and 

 collars were differently made from those which now remain. They 

 may have been much like those examples of mere ornament from 

 our own and other lands to be seen in our national museum, neatly 

 arranged in patterns but in several different ways. For some of 

 these a variety of sizes might produce the best effect. Sometimes 



