METALLIC ORNAMENTS OF NEW YORK INDIANS 6l 



the British government, had villages in the Mohawk territory, and 

 virtually belonged to that people. In the Revolution 60 of them are 

 said to have fought on the English side. It is improbable that John- 

 son had 23 medals with names and nations inscribed, for distribution 

 at Oswego. They would have had a general character, whereas 

 these were filled out from time to time for personal services. Some, 

 held in reserve, were never engraved. Lastly, some of these names 

 correspond with those of chiefs attached to early land treaties with 

 the State of New York. 



In 1761 Johnson also had similar medals for the Oneidas, but none 

 of these have been found. He was at Oneida Old Castle, July 16, 

 and said: 



I then acquainted them that General Amherst had sent me, some 

 time ago, medals for such persons as went to Canada with the army 

 last year, which I was now ready to deliver, were the persons here 

 to whom they belonged. As they were not, must keep them till I 

 had an opportunity of delivering them myself, that no mistake might 

 be committed. Stone. Johnson, 2 1432 



Mr J. V. H. Clark described one several times examined by the 

 writer : 



A silver medal was found near Eagle village, about the size of a 

 dollar, but a little thinner, with a ring or loop at one edge, to admit 

 a cord by which it might be suspended. On one side appears in 

 relief, a somewhat rude representation of a fortified town, with 

 several tall steeples rising above its buildings, and a citadel from 

 which the British flag is flying; a river broken by an island or two, 

 occupies the foreground, and above, along the upper edge of the 

 medal, is the name Montreal. The initials, d. c. f., probably of the 

 manufacturer, are stamped below. On the other side, which was 

 originally made blank, are engraved the words canecya, Onon- 

 dagoes. . . There is no date on this or any other of the medals. 

 But this must be at least older than the Revolution. Clark, 2:274 



This should be Caneiya in script and Onondagos in capitals. Fig. 

 281 shows this medal as drawn by the writer at Mr L. W. Ledyard's, 

 Cazenovia N. Y. in 1882. It was in his possession for many years. 

 If of revolutionary date, as the writer thinks probable, the Caneiya 

 of the medal might correspond with the Onondaga chief Kaneyaagh, 

 of the treaty of 1788. 



