METALLIC ORNAMENTS OF NEW YORK INDIANS 97 



Fig. 286 is a neat little article of brass, found a mile west of Cana- 

 joharie. The portion ornamented with cross lines has the outline 

 of a broad trowel, and there is a narrow rectangular base. There 

 are no present means of attachment, and it may once have been 

 longer, though showing no signs of breakage. 



Fig. 287 is a slender and angular piece of copper, which is evi- 

 dently a fragment. Its general form suggests that it may have 

 been one of the tobacco tongs, often given to the Indians. This 

 came from Indian hill in Pompey. A heavier one, of slightly differ- 

 ent form, is in the Stanford collection. 



One odd relic from a recent Cayuga site is a silver watch seal of 

 considerable size. The handle is in the form of a dolphin, and the 

 seal has crossed arrows between the letters K. M. This might 

 have come among the spoils of war, by gift or purchase. With its 

 Indian owner it was merely a pretty ornament, easily suspended 

 and worn. Such an object would be attractive to any savage mind 

 when plunder was to be had. But nothing that an Indian might 

 -carry off need excite surprise. When the Huron towns were 

 destroyed in Canada in 1649 an d 1650, and two of the missionaries 

 were killed, the Onondagas carried off two little books belonging 

 to the latter, and Father Le Moyne recovered them at Onondaga 

 in 1654. 



Though not ornaments, there are figured here several unique 

 recent copper relics which have been lent the writer at the last 

 moment. They are in form like the old bone needles, flat and per- 

 forated, and of interest as a survival of an early form in a later 

 material, like the conical and triangular arrowheads of copper. As 

 nothing of the kind has ever been described before, it seemed best 

 to include them now. These are from Indian hill in Pompey, and 

 • they have been reported from no other place. They are about as 

 thick as needles of bone, but rather wider than most of these. Fig. 

 376 is broad, and is broken at the perforation. Fig. 377 is nar- 

 rower and has a rounder point. It had two perforations. Fig. 378 

 is longer, and has a long and narrow hole. Fig. 379 is unper- 

 forated, and is pointed at both ends. Such needles have been used 

 in netting snowshoes. These have since been placed in the State 

 Museum. Their age is not far from 250 years, and they are all that 

 the writer has anywhere seen. 



