LEGAL REGULATION OP WAMPUM CURRENCY. 239 



during the next month of May, except at Five for one Stiver, and that 

 strung, and then after that Six beads for one Stiver. Whosoever shall 

 be found to have acted contrary hereunto, shall provisionally forfeit the 

 Wampum which is paid out and ten guilders for the Poor, and both 

 payer and payee are alike liable. The well-polished Wampum shall re- 

 main at its price as before, to wit, Four for one stiver, provided it be 

 strung." 



In November, 1647, another act was passed, allowing loose wampum 

 to circulate, as it was needed for change, but excluding imperfect and 

 unpierced specimens. These measures of the. Dutch government were 

 at once imitated in the Connecticut legislature by a re-enactment of some 

 precautionary laws on this subject previously in force for many years, by 

 which it was ordered, "That no peage (as they call seawant), white or 

 black, bee paid or received, but what is strunge, and in some measure 

 strunge sntably, and not small and great, uncomely and disorderly mixt, 

 as formerly it hath beene." 



In Massachusetts " wampam-peag".was legal tender (Act of 1648) for 

 all debts less than forty shillings, " except county rates to the treasurer," 

 the white at eight for a penny, and the black at four for a penny. The 

 Pequot Indians, in the year 1656, paid as a tribute to the United Colonies, 

 of New England 215 fathoms of wampum — of which amount the Com- 

 missioners of the United Colonies paid to Thomas Stanton, their agent 

 among the Indians, 120 fathoms for his salary. Having deducted this, 

 there remained 95 fathoms, which, together with 51 fathoms at New 

 Haven, in all 145 fathoms, was divided among the United Colonies, 

 according to the number of males enumerated in the year 1665, in the 

 following manner : 



To Massachusetts 94 fathoms, 3s. 6d.A To Connecticut 20 fathoms, 2s. Od. 



To Plymouth 18 " 0s. 9d. \ To New Haven 13 " 0s. 6d. 



This was the first distribution of public money in the good old time 

 of our history. 



It was not until 1661 that shell-beads were declared no longer legal 

 tender; but long subsequent, wampum served as money in New Eng- 

 land, as it did everywhere else.* 



* " In a Manuscript record of the province [of New Netherlands], dated 1659, Library 

 of the Historical Society, is the following mention of Indian money: 



" ' Seawant, alias wampum — Beads manufactured from the Quahaug or wilk. . A shell- 

 fish formerly abounding on our coasts, but lately of. more rare occurrence, of two colors, 

 black and white ; the former twice the value of the latter. Six beads of the white and 



