﻿8 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  In 
  his 
  Description 
  of 
  New 
  Netherland 
  (1671) 
  Arnoldus 
  Montanus 
  

   is 
  quite 
  elaborate, 
  but 
  had 
  most 
  of 
  his 
  account 
  from 
  the 
  earlier 
  one 
  

   of 
  Van 
  der 
  Donck. 
  He 
  said: 
  

  

  The 
  clothing 
  of 
  the 
  Nezv 
  Netherland 
  ers 
  is 
  most 
  sumptuous. 
  

   The 
  women 
  ornament 
  themselves 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  men. 
  And 
  

   although 
  the 
  winters 
  are 
  very 
  severe, 
  they 
  go 
  naked 
  until 
  their 
  

   thirteenth 
  year; 
  the 
  lower 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  girls' 
  bodies 
  only 
  are 
  covered. 
  

   All 
  wear 
  around 
  the 
  waist 
  a 
  girdle 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  fin 
  of 
  the 
  whale 
  or 
  

   of 
  seawant. 
  The 
  men 
  wear 
  between 
  the 
  legs 
  a 
  lap 
  of 
  duffels 
  cloth 
  , 
  

   or 
  leather, 
  half 
  an 
  ell 
  broad 
  and 
  nine 
  quarters 
  long; 
  so 
  that 
  a 
  square 
  

   piece 
  behind 
  hangs 
  over 
  the 
  buttocks 
  and 
  in 
  front 
  over 
  the 
  belly. 
  

   The 
  women 
  wear 
  a 
  petticoat 
  down 
  midway 
  the 
  leg, 
  very 
  richly 
  orna- 
  

   mented 
  with 
  seawant, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  garment 
  sometimes 
  costs 
  three 
  

   hundred 
  guilders. 
  They 
  also 
  wrap 
  the 
  naked 
  body 
  in 
  a 
  deer's 
  skin, 
  

   the 
  tips 
  of 
  which 
  swing 
  with 
  thin 
  points. 
  A 
  long 
  robe 
  fastened 
  on 
  

   the 
  right 
  shoulder 
  with 
  a 
  knot, 
  at 
  the 
  waist 
  by 
  a 
  girdle, 
  serves 
  the 
  

   men 
  and 
  women 
  for 
  an 
  upper 
  ornament, 
  and 
  by 
  night 
  for 
  a 
  bed 
  

   cover. 
  Both 
  go, 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part, 
  bareheaded. 
  The 
  women 
  bind 
  

   their 
  hair 
  behind 
  in 
  a 
  plait, 
  over 
  which 
  they 
  draw 
  a 
  square 
  cap 
  

   thickly 
  interwoven 
  with 
  seawant. 
  They 
  decorate 
  the 
  ornaments 
  for 
  

   the 
  forehead 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  stuff. 
  Around 
  the 
  neck 
  and 
  arms 
  they 
  

   wear 
  bracelets 
  of 
  seawant, 
  and 
  some 
  around 
  the 
  waist. 
  Shoes 
  and 
  

   stockings 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  Elk 
  hides 
  before 
  the 
  Hollanders 
  settled 
  here. 
  

   Others 
  made 
  shoes 
  even 
  of 
  straw. 
  But 
  since 
  some 
  time 
  they 
  prefer 
  

   Dutch 
  shoes 
  and 
  stockings. 
  O'Callaghan, 
  4:125 
  . 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Remonstrance 
  of 
  New 
  Netherland, 
  1649, 
  we 
  are 
  told 
  that,, 
  

   beside 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  duffels, 
  deerskin 
  or 
  elk 
  hide, 
  

  

  Some 
  have 
  a 
  bearskin 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  make 
  doublets 
  ; 
  others 
  again,, 
  

   coats 
  of 
  the 
  skins 
  of 
  racoons, 
  wild 
  cats, 
  wolves, 
  dogs, 
  fishers, 
  squir- 
  

   rels, 
  beavers 
  and 
  the 
  like; 
  and 
  they 
  even 
  have 
  made 
  themselves 
  

   some 
  of 
  turkey's 
  feathers; 
  now 
  they 
  make 
  use 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  of 
  

   duffels 
  cloth 
  which 
  they 
  obtain 
  in 
  trade 
  from 
  the 
  Christians; 
  they 
  

   make 
  their 
  stockings 
  and 
  shoes 
  of 
  deerskins 
  or 
  elk 
  hides, 
  some 
  even 
  

   have 
  shoes 
  of 
  corn 
  husks 
  whereof 
  they 
  also 
  make 
  sacks. 
  

   They 
  twine 
  both 
  white 
  and 
  black 
  wampum 
  around 
  their 
  heads 
  ; 
  for- 
  

   merly 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  wont 
  to 
  cover 
  these, 
  but 
  now 
  they 
  are 
  begin- 
  

   ning 
  to 
  wear 
  bonnets 
  or 
  caps 
  which 
  they 
  purchase 
  from 
  the 
  Chris- 
  

   tians; 
  they 
  wear 
  Wampum 
  in 
  the 
  ears, 
  around 
  the 
  neck 
  and 
  around 
  

   the 
  waist, 
  and 
  thus 
  in 
  their 
  way 
  are 
  mighty 
  fine. 
  They 
  have 
  also 
  

   long 
  deers-hair 
  which 
  is 
  dyed 
  red, 
  whereof 
  they 
  make 
  ringlets 
  to 
  

   encircle 
  the 
  head; 
  and 
  other 
  fine 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  color, 
  which 
  

   hangs 
  around 
  the 
  neck 
  in 
  braids, 
  whereof 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  vain. 
  

   O'Callaghan, 
  1:281 
  

  

  