WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 445: 



in 1768 for observing one of their ancient customs. He had given- 

 them a string of wampum in a pouch. 



One Iroquois custom was mentioned at a council in Montreal in^ 

 1756. " The Cayuga orator terminated the session by calling, in a 

 loud voice, each nation according to its rank, and, when he named 

 it, the chief thereof uttered the cry of thanks, which was repeated 

 in cadence by all the Indians." This appears elsewhere, but not the 

 rest. In regard to the belts presented by the Five Nations, " each, 

 of them furnished in turn and contributed equally to that expense,., 

 and as the Indians are very particular in exhibiting the share they 

 possess in these presents, at the end of each speech, the orator is 

 careful, when handling the belt, to cry out the name of the canton, 

 or nation, which has furnished it." — O'Callaghan. Colonial hist. 10:563. 



Father Milet notes this feature in his interesting account of mak- 

 ing ready for a council, which is contained in the second chapter 

 of the Relation for 1673-74. He wrote from Oneida (N. Y.) and said: 



In order to maintain peace among themselves and make amends 

 for faults committed by individuals, the Iroquois nations have insti- 

 tuted certain embassies which they reciprocally send one to another. 

 In these they exhibit their finest porcelain collars, with the utmost 

 magnificence in their power; and their captains endeavor to display 

 their eloquence, both in relating their fables, their genealogies and 

 their stories; and in suitably exhorting the ancients and warriors, 

 according to the exigencies of present affairs. In each family there 

 are a certain number of men and women of note, who represent, as 

 it were, the nobles of the land. These are called Agoianderes, and 

 they provide the porcelain and the collars. When it is intended to 

 send an embassy to other nations, the families first meet, each in 

 private, and collect all the porcelain that they have to give; then 

 each family displays to the others what the richest among them 

 have supplied. Then the oldest or most eloquent of the family 

 makes an harangue — either standing erect, or oftener walking 

 about. At times he speaks in a lugubrious tone, drawling out his 

 words; at others in a sharp tone, fitted to move them; sometimes in 

 a joyful voice, intermingled with songs, which the other ancients 

 repeat in harmony. At the conclusion he shows all these collars 

 as so many deceased persons, formerly of note, who come back to 

 life to urge all those who are present to preserve the country for 

 which they formerly gave their life and shed their blood. All is 

 ended by a feast, and by the offering of many presents, which they 

 make one to another. The ancients of the other families thank 

 him who has spoken, and on the following day they do the same 



