43^ NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



In 1745 Gov. Clinton gave the Six Nations '' a large Belt with the 

 figure of a Hatchet hung to it." In 1757 Sir William Johnson gave 

 them a large belt, with the seal of his office on a parchment tied 

 to it. The same year while in Canada the Oneidas presented the 

 Cayugas with a belt and an EngHsh scalp attached, English scalps 

 never before having been in the Cayuga cabins. Scalps were often 

 attached to belts, and scalp belts were given in place of Indians 

 killed. At Oswego in 1766 an Onondaga chief gave a Cherokee 

 scalp to Johnson, '' after painting the scalp belt of wampum which 

 hung to it." On the death of the Half King in 1756, a stick with 

 an Indian scalp and two black belts at the end, was presented at 

 Carlisle. Several examples of attached belts occurred that year in 

 Pennsylvania. Two belts and two strings tied endwise were used 

 on one occasion, and a belt of eight rows had two strings attached on 

 another. The same year at Easton two belts tied together signified 

 that Teedyuscujig and Newcastle were joint agents. The former 

 chief, at the same place the next year, gave a belt of 12 rows 

 strung on cords, and also two belts tied together^ with an explana- 

 tion of the ancient mode of making an everlasting peace. In 1765 

 Pontiac sent his large pipe to Johnson with a belt attached, calu- 

 mets being highly esteemed by nations farther west. In 1768 the 

 Cherokees gave belts and calumets. One belt had a calumet and 

 eagle's tail attached. 



One curious mention of a chain belt occurs in the Paris docu- 

 ments. In 1682 Count Frontenac's third word to the Iroquois 

 deputies was the " third belt of wampum in the form of a chain." 

 This may refer to a primitive method of making these belts by 

 tying strings together. A yet more puzzling statement relates to 

 the council at which Fort Frontenac was founded in 1673. The 

 chiefs addressed the count in turn, and " each captain presented, at 

 the conclusion of his speech, a belt of wampum, which is worthy 

 of note, because formerly it was customary to present only some 

 fathoms of stringed wampum." Such large numbers of belts were 

 described before this that the comment is not easily understood. 



Belts were often doubled, one message being given in this way. 



