12 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



painted these, drawing lines from the top about two inches apart;. 

 They thought most of the skin of a small black animal, as large as- 

 a rabbit and with soft fur. About 60 of these were required for a 

 square robe. The tails hung down, making fringes, and the heads 

 formed borders above. Relation, 1634 



The ordinary shirt or tunic was made of two dressed deerskins, 

 quite thin, fastened on the shoulders and reaching midway on the 

 leg. Fringes were cut in this at the armholes and around the 

 bottom. Coverings for the arms were sometimes added, secured 

 about by cords before and behind. Claws, hoofs and teeth were 

 occasional ornaments, but metallic ornaments soon replaced these. 

 Dyed hair was freely used, and feathers and porcupine quills were 

 often in request. In early warfare the head of some animal was 

 often placed on the warrior's shoulder or head. Painting was 

 customary both in peace and war, and tattooing was frequent. The 

 former still continues among the New York Iroquois. 



As this paper deals mainly with the metallic ornaments used by 

 the Indians of New York, which are but rarely prehistoric, the 

 foregoing will suffice to show the general attire of these nations 

 at and about the advent of the white man. After that time changes 

 came rapidly. Those who would follow up the subject in a broader 

 way can not do better than to consult the Dress and Ornaments of 

 Certain American Indians by Lucien Carr. This treats of the attire 

 of the Indians of the United States east of the Mississippi, as de- 

 scribed by early chroniclers. Of the changes of the last two- 

 centuries little is said, nor of some which came 50 .years earlier. 

 His admirable summary, with its accurate notes, is valuable and 

 convenient for this early view, but hardly touches the subject now 

 to be considered. 



In a previous paper, some references have been made to the 

 reports of copper articles seen by early navigators. Verazzano saw 

 Indians wearing plates of wrought copper as he sailed along the 

 Atlantic coast. These they valued highly. Farther northeast, the 

 savages had copper ornaments in their ears. De Soto saw small 

 copper hatchets in Georgia, and heard of a supply of this metal 

 farther north. The Montreal Indians told Cartier of copper in 1535. 



