WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 455 



worth of Black Wampum & lo of White & I expect to see it in two 

 Months & an half as I Must Make New Cheifs with it again that 

 time to help Me." — Penn. mag. 14:320 



Lack of wampum 



It sometimes happened that Indians were out of wampum or the 

 supply at a council ran short through unexpected business. This 

 happened to the Five Nations when at Albany in 1714. They gave 

 three sticks and replaced them with belts the following year. At 

 a camp near Tuscarawas (O.) in 1764, large belts were given, but 

 the Delawares gave bundles of 41 and 42 sticks. Colden describes 

 another use of sticks at councils. " The art they have in assisting 

 their memories is this. The sachem who presides has a bundle of 

 sticks prepared for the purpose, and at the close of the message de- 

 livered to them, gives a stick to another sachem, charging him with 

 remembrance of it. By this means the orator, after a previous con- 

 ference with the Indians, is prepared to repeat every part of the mes- 

 sage and give it its precise reply. This custom is invariably pur- 

 sued in all their public treaties." 



Beaver skins or other furs were sometimes used in place of belts 

 and strings. At a council between Champlain and \h.e Hurons in 

 1633 the latter used beavers alone. At another in 1691 the 21 

 presents of the Five Nations were almost all of beavers and otters. 

 Western and southern nations used pipes and furs. All the colonies 

 could not readily command a wampum supply. In 1677 Maryland 

 wished to send bands of wampum to each of the Five Nations, but, 

 if these could not be had, 20 to 25 guilders worth of strung wam- 

 pum was to be used. At present one or two beads may be sent 

 with a message, because of their rarity, and sometimes none can be 

 had. 



Color of wampum 



The color of belts and strings was of importance. White was 

 generally an emblem of something good, and black of affairs of a 

 mere serious nature, but this was not invariable. Black wampum, 

 being double the value of the white, was often used to signify 

 affairs of great importance. Several writers of the i8th century 



