WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 421 



the laws. At the conchision of his remarks he said: "As long as 

 you will follow up the laws of the Five Nations you will be in pros- 

 perity and happiness, but whenever our people may not heed the 

 instructions which we instructing to you, then it will come in 

 the state of dissension among our people — and the last remark — if 

 you will disobey and disregard the laws we have, that generation 

 will suffer." Hi-a-wat-ha made that speech. 



This belt is not the original which was there at that time, but 

 a copy. It was made not a great while after the death of Hi-a- 

 wat-ha. That each clan shall be entitled to one principal chief and 

 war chief. When the council ended, Hi-a-wat-ha went up the 

 Onondaga creek and distributed the belts among the clans — mak- 

 ing the clans and chiefs. And in his speech he said : " I have made 

 a place for you under ground and a fishing ground. I have fin- 

 ished my work." It is claimed that he did not die, but went up 

 in his canoe and said: " When you shall be in a state of confusion 

 I will come back." • 



That Hi-a-wat-ha saw the strange face in the midst of the dark- 

 ness, and he interpreted it that the unknown law which was com- 

 ing, should prevail over the new law — that is, the law which has 

 just been adopted and the tree that was just planted. The root 

 spread from east to west, and from south to north.- Under the 

 tree, while the root of the tree was spreading, all the Five Nations 

 laid their heads on the root. That is the constitution. If any of 

 their enemies should attempt to strike against the root — from their 

 enemies destroying some of their people, and after striking against 

 up the root, the man who struck the root would turn, and the blood 

 would come out of his mouth. That is revenge for blood. The 

 roots of the tree would continue spreading in all directions forever; 

 and the fire would continue forever, and the smoke of it go all 

 up to heaven, so that all the nations of the world would see; and 

 that the laws — that is the wampums — be read every year forever. 

 Between the Bastable and the corner of Warren and Genesee 

 streets — last council. 



Hi-a-wat-ha would come again, but when he did not say. He 

 did not die, and when he came again he would renew the old, and 

 it would be stronger than then, and that is the expectation we have. 

 The former meetings of the Five Nations were on Onondaga lake, 

 and some near Liverpool. He was the proclaimer of councils, and 

 the only proper person to call a council. These wampums were 

 made during these meetings, and were complete at the last meet- 

 ing when everything was ratified. 



The place mentioned in Syracuse was then a dense swamp. Ac- 

 cording to Morgan and Hale several clans had no principal chiefs. 

 The Onondagas now generally agree with the writer that Hiawatha 



