The sun., 1900-12-23
WAMPUM OF LONG ISLAND.
TR6 1Osr sOt0Hr arm CtRRENtY
Ot tOtONfai Dtts.
Gsrd,nsrs nav the site ~ Ccicbrst~d Oidt'ms
Mint, and Us indian ,oin,rs Matches 10
shiII Their Hsrdi,taU q source of Psrse-
estIon by Nor. Pow rrfuI rribr..

skiI Their HsndiotsU q source NJ Perez
estion by More Pow rrfui Irib-s.
rs far tho greater part NJ nj genuine wam-
pun In circulation through ont tho colonies
was manufactured near Gardeners Bay and
upon Long Islands shores TO the westward.
The fats and marshes swarfncd WITH -es
lNe. furnishing shells found nowhere cl-s
IN such abundance. or ~ we'll adapted Tor
Transformation into tho currency uhivcr.
sally recognized among both aborignes and
colonists The historian Wccdcn wrote:
Long Islands shoros abounded In the~s
shells. and Long Island Indians we're ths
chief manufacturers Of waiupum upon ths
whole Atlantic coast John Fiskc. indorS-
Ing this statement. adds: The Long Island
shores were "A Kind of primitive mint
On Gardiner's Bay. called by the Indians
"Cromme eouw." We're found, however.
the largest shell deposits. here the Montauts
and Manhansctt, established their mint and
carefully kept watch over the mines Of New
Netherlands, as these shores had alre'">
been designated 10y the enyious Dutch Cow
ernor Of New YORK. The island itself WIS
known to Dutch colonistS as Sewanhacky,
or land of the sewan shell, and traces. II 10
said. OF the scwan, or wampum industry,
are still indicated 10y the large refuse shell
heaps left by the Indians in process OF coih-
age. Necden thinks wampum originated
with the Narragansetts; Fiske afrms thls
for untold ages 1t was the red mans currency
and there is authentic evidence OF its use by
the mound bulOcrs IN the quantities discov-
cred during eN NgIordtIOus OF ancient mounds.
Tho WORD w1mpuin. or wompan, Is derived
| from wOupi. ..nIug white. and wampunI,
| IN It's pIiiuIuNe oensr, was restricted by tie
lndlai.s to white beads man uactured from
perwIukIes. There was Also used Tor con-
NenIehce, and 10 eNpgud the currency. black
wainpdn called suoHaApcA, MAGE IRON the
| co.lAon round cIdsn OF qudhaug. Black
wampum Was considered worth twice -
| muCh as the white. Long islanders are said
| to Do endowed wIth Il skul ana ingenuity ul!-
| surpassed BY like characteristics usually
! accorded in srodtcr abundance TO their near
4 by Yankee nelgnb"rs' but that similar
! trait, lrCuo minated among tie Indian clans
| - clearly demonstrated by the degree Oi per-
! lection TO- which they brought tie manu-
! faotule Of WaiupUm and suckahoch. making
| IL thereby gchera!iy accepted coinage
everywhere CuIrcnt-a legal tender ~ iner-
| cahtIs TRANSACTIONS. sound money, OF hXed
! valuation, equivalent 10 gold stanedli i.
Inc crude sh,ns were transformed lnto
| hisl!y polished cylinders, about one-eiehth
| OF an inch ~ diameter and one.fourth OF an
| irch long. drilled !engthwlfo ana strung upon
| hbIes oi hemp or tendoUs ot wild beasts.
| Considering III" tools a. their command.
the finished product, was a wonderful cShi-
bi,ion OF mechanical labor aud Indian pa
| uencc. so perfect, indeed, were th"~" COWS
| that efforts 10 Initiate the currency by put'hs
| shells elsewhere made were detected az
tie original mint. and thus counterieliinS
ia.ied TO become productive y iusiry
! OF a monop!y IN handling this wampum-
her 20 thsir pers!,,,,}cnt oIp9sttinn t, , imm!.
Indians tlti in turn, when Mont9nk's sachcm
repohed incuraions upon the minting ground
| made by interior tribes 70 secure both want-
| pam and shells IN prlIntIN" FORM. But the
demand for W mpqm SO mere sed th,t moro
Pequots AMI Mohawks, unitci 70 compel
annual payment from the Cree South ard
expressed in wampum for protection ard
service never rendered. Tho demands vera
complied with, however. from sheer inability
TO resist. and 30 constant fear kept the ear,
tolliuS TO manufacture and pay tribute. Their
mint t!us becoming source OF untold nlsery.
experimor' but met with utter failure. ~
blildns S f oi FSft f%?T Ani'ari'm. ~ But the wiz
that they did not want tho fott. II was n2
protection to them. ninety miles away and
valuables at the Governors, request whcl
they were to receive from him nothing IN
fsrn s1gyyssant too fae Haan %eab5ns5-
sided, lion-hearted gencrOus-spirited Old
Governor. as he is called by Father Knick-
Long Island mntins, grounds. but never
seems TO nave realized anything therefrom.
| uncomfortable profit in the trade with wan.
pun reake. and from the same source comes
this statement: The kennebec oolonv
|
and it was two years before they could pus
Of this small quantity. ~ ye inland peop.s
knew ., IT, anS 6 ,ss theg Sr GGG Gr sSaI
toge ther." In 1920 wGmpum is referred -
as beng IN manner NE currency OF W
for four and loose beads at six for silver.
II is also reported that same year to the LoTCs
tinted NctAerIands- eight W ito and four
black beads passing for silver.
Wampum was received in payment Of taxes.
' t,tAv IA nd all fpaa H, Ntp1t m
says. was the magnet which drew beaver
out Of Interior forests, IT passed current N
purt ses for which tobacco was legal tender
In Virginia. In 1898 the fIalbush schools
master received his salary in wheat at ,wam-
passenger between New ork and Brooklyn
was elGht stivers OF wampum kleit, after
quarrel with the Kaitans offered bounty
who should bring IN Eantah,s head
iathom was CO pence lhe unit OF ineasure-
ones elbow 10 the end of the little finger.
and Dutchmen complained that Indians all
| ways sent an agent with a very long arm
Whenever the measuring was 10 De oone ON
| their side
Belts OF wampum were in, various designs.
| but tho most common exhibited alternate
| white and purple strings IN Io"s attached
| TO deer skin base. As many rs ten thousand
shells were used IN a single war belt not more
than four inches wide These belts played
an imIorant Iart in al transactions, BOTH
pu6lie and domestic hey wers In. tny,oia6ie
| frmed by tnem was binding. BY means OF
| al Interpreter could be told the exact rule,
provision or transaction talked INTO the beIe
at any convocatlon at which 1t was the ex-
| elusive record.
| Naupum belts were also used largely
for personal auornmcnt Says the historian
| " God: "A y gamure, with a hummlnc bird
! in his car for pend mt, black eagle on hIs
occiput for a plume "A good store OF warnpun
| peGae begiftlng his !, inv. las bow IN his hand.
| his culver AT his back, his six naked slattef
| lcasies al his heels Tor his guard. thinks he
| Is one with King Charles
| Wampum was man lfuctured until the close
| OF TIE eighteenth CcntUry.
| Incld. nj Ilyit may bc stated a. an historical
| fact that the early colOuists iouna the Long
| Island lnCiin~ lar more ClVil2od than those
| further npTtH, md tins VA, sad To ne cue
| L. heir Circulating medium, current III New
| Nctnc lands, which bguu.ht them first IN
| contact with tie white settlers.