ches, which other people often trouble
themselves to provide for uncertain and ungrateful heirs. In short, they
seem as possessing nothing, and yet enjoying all things.

CHAPTER XII.

OF THE TREASURE OR RICHES OF THE INDIANS.

Sec. 46. The Indians had nothing which they reckoned riches, before the
English went among them, except peak, roenoke, and such like trifles
made out of the conch shell. These past with them instead of gold and
silver, and served them both for money and ornament. It was the English
alone that taught them first to put a value on their skins and furs, and
to make a trade of them.

Peak is of two sorts, or rather of two colors, for both are made of one
shell, though of different parts; one is a dark purple cylinder, and the
other a white; they are both made in size and figure alike, and commonly
much resembling the English bugles, but not so transparent nor so
brittle. They are wrought as smooth as glass, being one third of an inch
long, and about a quarter diameter, strung by a hole drilled through the
centre. The dark color is the dearest, and distinguished by the name of
wampom peak. The Englishmen that are called Indian traders, value the
wampom peak at eighteen pence per yard, and the white peak at nine
pence. The Indians also make pipes of this, two or three inches long,
and thicker than ordinary, which are much more valuable. They also make
runtees of the small shell, and grind them as smooth as peak. These are
either large like an oval bead, and drilled the length of the oval, or
else they are circular and flat, almost an inch over, and one third of
an inch thick, and drilled edgeways. Of this shell they also make round
tablets of about four inches diameter, which they polish as smooth as
the other, and sometimes they etch or grave thereon circles, stars, a
half moon, or any other figure suitable to their fancy. These they wear
instead of medals before or behind their neck, and use the peak, runtees
and pipes for coronets, bracelets, belts, or long strings hanging down
before the breast, or else they lace their garments with them, and adorn
their tomahawks, and every other thing that they value.

They have also another sort which is as current among them, but of far
less value; and this is made of the cockle shell, broken into small bits
with rough edges, drilled through in the same manner as beads, and this
they call roenoke, and use it as the peak.

These sorts of money have t