462 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



worth the whole of this, and they freely gave it, merely to recall the 

 memory of the chief who was gone." — Hale, p. 167 



Food and burial 



Shellfish formed a large part of the food of the aborigines on the 

 seacoast. They ate many on the spot, and dried others for winter 

 consumption. In this way were formed the numerous shell beds 

 near the shore, usually made up of hard clam and oyster shells, but 

 sometimes of the scallop. On Iroquois sites in the interior are 

 often scattered those of the fresh-water clam. There are rare in- 

 stances there of beds of these of an earHer date. Near the sea the 

 dead were sometimes buried in shell heaps, and in a few cases dogs. 

 were carefully interred. For burial purposes the shells were neatly 

 arranged. Careful observers now give a much lower antiquity to 

 these shell heaps than was formerly claimed, and some are evidently 

 of very recent date. As food our water mollusks have probably 

 been long in use here. As ornaments their shells may have been 

 sparingly used in New York four centuries ago. There is little 

 proof of so long a use as this, but it may well be supposed that 

 much has perished. In two or three instances a higher antiquity 

 may be allowed, for wandering hunters may have brought some 

 here. It is not a question of the presence of man in New York, but 

 simply of his use of one common material. 



After these pages were in type the writer examined a fine recent 

 belt, 47 inches long and six broad, with 18 rows of beads, mostly 

 white. It has three triple diagonal bands of black beads, and letters 

 and figures in black at one end. If this was considered the bottom 

 there would be 1800, and M C beneath. It probably should be 

 reversed and would then be W C 1800. Captain WilHam Claus had 

 then been recently appointed deputy general superintendent of 

 Indian affairs in Canada, and it seems a belt used by him. It resem- 

 bles the Simcoe belt in material and construction, and has buckskin 

 thongs. In the terminal fringes are a few blue and white beads, as 

 large as marbles. This is a novel feature. 



