neck ; also as an edging for certain pieces of their garments; and when these strings were united, they formed the broad wampum belts by which solemn public transactions were commemorated. As a substitute for gold and silver coin, its price was fixed by law. Three purple beads of

wampum, or six of "white, were equal to a stuyver

among

among

the

the Dutch, or

English.

a

penny

Some

variations, however, existed in its value, according to

A single string of wamtime and place. pum of one fathom, ruled at five shillings in New England, and is known in New Netherland to have reached

as

high as

four guilders, or one dollar and sixty-six The old wampum was made by cents.

hand and was an exceedingly rude article, After the discovery, the Dutch introduced the lathe in its manufacture, polished and perforated it with exactness, and soon had The princithe monopoly of the trade. pal place of its manufacture was at Hackensak, in New Jersey. deposit of sea-shells was

The principal Long

Island,

where the extensive shell banks left by the Indians, in which it is difficult to find a whole shell, show the immense quantities that were manufactured.

O^ HUDSON'S RWER.

They were not skilled in the practice of medicines, notwith They knew how standing the general belief on that subject. to cure wounds and hurts, and treated simple diseases success Their general health was due more to their habits than fully.

knowledge of remedies. Their principal medical treat ment was the sweating bath. These were literally earthen ovens, into which the patient crept, and around which heated stones were placed to raise the temperature. When the patient had remained under perspiration for a certain time he was taken out and immersed suddenly in cold water, a process which served to cure or certainly cause death.