﻿88 
  » 
  [Assembly 
  

  

  Da-gii-ya-sont, 
  or 
  silver 
  cross. 
  

  

  No. 
  6. 
  Plate 
  4. 
  

  

  The 
  passion 
  of 
  the 
  Iroquois 
  for 
  silver 
  ornaments 
  in 
  ancient 
  

   times 
  was 
  very 
  extravagant 
  ; 
  and 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  day 
  it 
  has 
  

   suffered 
  but 
  little 
  abatement. 
  This 
  inclination 
  was 
  seized 
  upon 
  

   by 
  the 
  trader, 
  who 
  purchased 
  the 
  richest 
  furs 
  with 
  articles 
  of 
  this 
  

   description 
  of 
  small 
  comparative 
  value. 
  Among 
  the 
  number 
  is 
  

   found 
  the 
  silver 
  cross, 
  which 
  doubtless 
  owed 
  its 
  introduction 
  

   among 
  them, 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  instance, 
  to 
  the 
  pious 
  ministrations 
  of 
  the 
  

   Jesuits 
  ; 
  but 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  day 
  it 
  is 
  regarded 
  merely 
  as 
  a 
  person- 
  

   al 
  ornament, 
  and 
  is 
  without 
  significance 
  to 
  them 
  as 
  a 
  religious 
  em- 
  

   blem. 
  When 
  worn 
  they 
  were 
  attached 
  to 
  a 
  necklace, 
  or 
  perhaps 
  

   fastened 
  to 
  the 
  hat, 
  or 
  hung 
  upon 
  the 
  hair. 
  The 
  one 
  figured 
  in 
  

   the 
  plate 
  is 
  of 
  unusual 
  dimensions, 
  the 
  longest 
  part 
  being 
  about 
  

   ten 
  inches, 
  and 
  the 
  transverse 
  about 
  six, 
  and 
  made 
  of 
  solid 
  silver. 
  

   It 
  was 
  purchased 
  of 
  a 
  Cayuga 
  on 
  Grand 
  river. 
  They 
  are 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  found 
  with 
  two 
  transverse 
  pieces 
  of 
  silver, 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  

   the 
  two 
  small 
  crosses, 
  figures 
  2 
  and 
  3. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  are 
  en- 
  

   graved 
  with 
  figures 
  of 
  animals 
  or 
  birds, 
  as 
  a 
  swan. 
  The 
  name 
  

   " 
  Montreal" 
  is 
  stamped 
  upon 
  two 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  other 
  crosses 
  in 
  

   the 
  collection, 
  thus 
  indicating 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  manufacture. 
  

  

  An-ne-as-ga, 
  or 
  silver 
  broach. 
  

  

  No. 
  9. 
  Plate 
  5. 
  

  

  Ah-was-ha, 
  or 
  ear 
  ring. 
  

  

  No. 
  15. 
  Plate 
  5. 
  

  

  Au-ne-a-hus-ha, 
  or 
  finger 
  ring. 
  

  

  No. 
  14. 
  Plate 
  5. 
  

  

  Broaches 
  of 
  silver 
  are 
  worn 
  by 
  every 
  female. 
  They 
  are 
  of 
  all 
  

   sizes 
  and 
  patterns, 
  from 
  six 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  worth 
  as 
  ma- 
  

   ny 
  dollars, 
  to 
  half 
  an 
  incli 
  and 
  worth 
  a 
  half 
  dime 
  ; 
  answering 
  

   upon 
  the 
  female 
  dress 
  the 
  double 
  purpose 
  of 
  ornament 
  and 
  use. 
  

   At 
  a 
  fixed 
  value 
  they 
  pass 
  from 
  hand 
  to 
  hand, 
  thus 
  forming 
  a 
  

   species 
  of 
  currency 
  among 
  them. 
  Every 
  Indian 
  female, 
  however 
  

   humble, 
  has 
  some 
  silver 
  broaches, 
  while 
  occasionally 
  those 
  can 
  

   be 
  found 
  who 
  count 
  them 
  by 
  hundreds. 
  The 
  larger 
  ones 
  are 
  

   usually 
  worn 
  upon 
  the 
  Ah-de-a-da-we-sd^ 
  or 
  over 
  dress, 
  in 
  front, 
  

   as 
  a 
  button 
  or 
  pin, 
  tte 
  largest 
  being 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  bottom. 
  Some- 
  

  

  