( 3*> ) 



By a mixture of beads of different colours, they 

 form fuch figures and characters as they have a 

 mind, which often ferve to diftinguifh the ^fairs i$i 

 queftion. Sometimes the beads are plaited, at lead 

 it is certain that they frequently fend red collars 

 when a war is in agitation. Thefe collars are care- 

 fully preferred, and not only compofe part of the 

 publick treafures, but are Jikewife their regifters or 

 annals, and ought to be ftudied by thofe who have 

 the charge of the archives, which are depofited in 

 the cabbin of the chief. W hen there are two chiefs 

 in a village of equal authority, they keep the trea- 

 fures and archives by turns for one night, but' this 

 night, at lead at prefent, is a whole year. Col- 

 lars are never ufed but in affairs of confequence \ 

 for thofe of lefs importance they make life of 

 branches, or firings of porcelain, ildns, blankets, 

 mai'z, either in grain or flour, and fuch like things ; 

 for all thefe make a part of the publick treafure. 

 When they invite a village or a nation to enter into 

 an alliance, fometimes they fend them a pair of co- 

 lours tinged with blood but this practice is modern, 

 and there is good reafon to believe, they have taken 

 the hint from the white colours of the French, and 

 the red of the Englifh. It is even faid, that we 

 ourfelves firft introduced it amongfl them, and that 

 they have thought of tinging theirs with blood, 

 when the queftion was to declare war. 



The calumet is no lefs facred among the Indians 

 than the collar of Wampum ; it has even, if we 

 may believe them a divine original, for they main- 

 tain, it was a prefent made them by the Sun. It is 

 more in ufe among the fouthern and weftern nations, 

 than among the eaftern and northern, and is more 

 frequently employed for peace than for war. Calu- 

 met is a Norman word, being a corruption of Cka- 



liorveauy 



