WAMPUM AND SHELL ARTICLES 45;r 



Strings of Wampum I paint you as becomes Warriors." He gave 

 five large black strings. " With these Strings of White Wampum 

 I feather your heads as is customary among you when engaged in 

 war." Four strings of white wampum. Other instances might be 

 cited. 



There were notable occasions when Johnson departed from the 

 significance of color, and he seems to have been partial to the 

 precious black wampum. It did not mean peace but something of 

 high importance. So he gave a peace belt of black wampum to a 

 Qiippewa chief at Niagara in 1759, and another black belt inviting 

 him to trade at Niagara and Oswego. No intimation is there of a 

 change of color. A war belt which he gave at Canajoharie the 

 same year was painted. 



Tribute 



However strong the upper Iroquois may have been, the Mo- 

 hawks were in a feeble condition till the arrival of the Dutch and 

 the opening of trade. They at once bought guns and used them 

 well. In an account of New Netherlands, written in 1646, we are 

 told that " 400 armed men knew how to make use of this advantage, 

 especially against their enemies dwelling along the river of Canada, 

 against whom they have now achieved many profitable forays, 

 where before they had but little advantage; this caused them also 

 to be respected by the surrounding Indians even as far as the sea- 

 coast, who must generally pay them tribute, whereas, on the con- 

 trary, they were formerly obliged to contribute to these." In 1643 

 a party of Mahikans (Mohawks?) went to collect tribute of the* 

 Weckquaes geeks in Westchester county, and of the Tappans west 

 of the Hudson river. They were armed with guns. Not much 

 later some Mohawks took Jogues with them when going to receive 

 tribute from subject tribes. De Witt Clinton notes that the Mon- 

 tauks paid tribute to the New England colonies by 1646, while the 

 river and shore Indians soon " became subject to the Iroquois and 

 paid a tribute in shells and wampum." Colden records this also. 

 When De Courcelles invaded the Mohawk country in 1666, he 

 learned that they and the Oneidas had gone to war against those 

 called wampum-makers. ^ 



