20 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Bells 



When the French abandoned the fort at Onondaga lake in 1658, 

 the mission bell was carried to Indian hill, and was there used for 

 a long time. In early days nearly all the fragments of this were 

 found, and also a small bell without a clapper. Mr Clark said that 

 the former " would have weighed probably one hundred and fifty 

 or two hundred pounds. The metal is very fine. . . Time and 

 exposure have not changed it in the least. When found, some 

 twenty years since, it was broken up, and the pieces found were 

 enough to make it nearly entire." Clark, 2:276 



Mr Clark also says that near the fort of 1696 " numerous little 

 bells, such as are sometimes used by the Romish priesthood," have 

 been found. He reported this from hearsay; but the only bells 

 familiar to the writer from Iroquois sites are those commonly called 

 hawk bells, like the sleigh bells of modern days, but lighter. These 

 are frequent, and were probably attached to the dress when dancing. 

 They are usually of brass, and are sometimes nearly perfect. Mr 

 W. L. Hildburgh has two of silver from Ontario county, the only 

 ones yet reported. They are as large as his brass bells, and larger 

 than some. Fig. 267 shows one of these. They are sometimes 

 quite small, as in two of his brass ones from the same county. Fig. 

 266 shows half of a large one from Pompey. Fig. 264 is a fine one 

 from the fort near Pompey Center, and this seems the oldest yet 

 reported. When some from that town were exhibited, a local paper 

 said, " These bells belong to a period 3000 years ago." Fig. 265 

 is a smaller size from Fleming, where they are often found. 



The Moravian missionary, Heckewelder, spoke of this feature of 

 Indian dress in the 18th century. The women have "a number of 

 little bells and brass thimbles fixed round their ankles, which when 

 they walk, make a tinkling noise, which is heard at some distance; 

 this is intended to draw the attention of those who pass by, that 

 they may look at and admire them." Heckewelder, p. 205. At the 

 burial of a Delaware woman of rank, on the upper borders of moc- 

 casins " were fastened a number of small round silver bells, of about 

 the size of a musket ball." Heckewelder, p. 271 



