Their belts are mostly black Wampum, painted red when they denote War they describe Castles sometimes upon them as square figures of White Wampum, & in Alliances Human figures holding a Chain of friendship, each figure representg a nation, an axe is also sometimes described weh is always an Emblem of War, The Taking it upisa Declaration | of war] and the burying it a token of Peace, Butas I have accounted for not entering into farther particulars at present, J shall conclude w*? assuring you that if these loose remarks prove of any use to you,I shall readily descend to any other matters of Information that may demonstrate how much I am Sir &e.

Nore.--The portions of the above letter included within [ ) are taken from

$38 PAPERS RELATING TO

SIR WM. JOHNSON TO THE REVD. MR. BARTON.

Johnson hall Feby 28th 1771. Dear Sir,

Your kind letter of last July would not have remained so long unanswered, had it not been mislaid for some time after a late tedious Indisposition. I am fully persuaded that you would have answered the One I formerly wrote you, but we must _ expect that some letters will miscarry, of which I have met with many Instances nearer home.

I am unable to make a Suitable return for the Warm Wishes you Express for me, but I feel them very sensibly, and you have every thing in Answer that the strongest friendship can dictate, and I cannot but greatly regret your distance & the peculiarity of your situation which deprives me of the opportunity of a more friendly intercourse, often Wishing that you could partake in the pleasing prospects which this Country now affords from the advancement of religion, and the Improvements in Cultivation.