In
the plates illustrative of the " Admiranda Narratio " and the " Brevis
Narratio," the natives both of Virginia and Florida are represented in
the possession of numerous strings of pearls of large size ; and in his
description of the " treasure of riches " of the Virginia Indians,
Robert Bevery says : " They likewise have some pearls amongst them, and
formerly had many more, but where they got them is uncertain, except
they found them in the oyster banks which are frequent in this country."1
Wilson
asserts that he saw pearls "bigger than Rouncival pease," and perfectly
round, taken from oysters found on the Carolina coast.5
The
existence of shell-heaps may also be traced to the making of wampum and
of shell beads in general, which formed a trade among the tribes
inhabiting the sea coast. This labor required much time, and promised
success only to those who, by long practise, had attained skill in the
operation. The supposition gains some ground by an observation of Roger
Williams, who states that " most on the Sea side make Money and Store
up shells in Summer against Winter whereof to make their money." He
further observes: "They have some who follow onely making Bowes, some
Arrowes, some Dishes (and the women make all their Earthen vessels),
some follow fishing, some hunting."3
Kjoekkenmoeddings
on the St. John's River, Florida, consisting of river shells, were
examined and described by Prof. Jefferies Wyman. He saw similar
accumulations on the banks of the Concord River, in Massachusetts, and
was informed by eye-witnesses that they are numerous in California.*
Charles Rau 6
says : " The term 'wampum' is often applied to shell-beads in general,
but should be confined, I think, to a certain class of cylindrical
beads, usually \ of an inch long and drilled lengthwise, which were chiefly manufactured
1 History of the Present State of Virginia (London, 1705), Book 3, p. 59.
2 An Account of the Province of Carolina (London, 1682), p. 12.
3 A Key into the Language of America, reprinted from the London edition of 1643 (Providence, 1827), p. 1331.
4 Cf. Fresh-Water Shell-Heaps of the St. John's River, East Florida (Salem, Mass., 1868), P- 6-
* 'Ancient Aboriginal Trade in North America, in the Report of Smithsonian Institution for 1872, p. 32 of Mr. Rau's reprint.
