n Rhode Island, were purchased of Miantinomi,
sachem of the Narragansetts, for one hundred and forty-four fathoms of
wampum.[31]

In New England the limits of the trade were considerably extended by the
quantities of wampum tribute which poured into the hands of the colonial
authorities. Wampum was the commodity in which tribute was universally
paid, and the stern justice of our fathers imposed this with no sparing
hand upon their weak and erring neighbors. In 1634, the Pequots were
fined 400 fathoms of wampum, and two years afterwards 600 fathoms
more.[32] After 1637, the Long Island Indians paid a large yearly
tribute to the united commissioners,[33] as did also the Block
Islanders. It is often difficult, as in the present case, to see the
justice of such exactions. These Indians had been guilty of no
unfriendly act, and the utmost urged in extenuation of the imposition
was the flimsy pretence that but for an alleged protection the same sums
would have gone in fealty to their red brethren. In 1644, the
Narragansetts were fined 2000 fathoms, and doomed to pay yearly
thereafter a fathom for every Pequot man, half a fathom for every youth
and a hand breadth for every child in the tribe. As late as 1658,[34]
the Pequots were fined ten fathoms a man, and one of their number
imprisoned for offering refuse wampum in part payment.[35] This tribe
had suffered so many and severe exactions that they were obliged to
search in all directions for the material out of which to manufacture
their wampum, and occasionally crossed over to Long Island for this
purpose. The Montauk sachem fearing that his shores would be exhausted
of their shelly wealth, opposed these visits, until the Pequots
succeeded in securing the interposition of the united commissioners in
their behalf.[36] In 1663, the assessment upon this tribe was fixed at
80 fathoms. Such are a few of the many instances to be found in the
records, showing the enormous amount of wampum paid as tribute by the
natives to the early authorities of New England.

The Dutch supply was augmented in a different manner. They soon found
the native manufactories inadequate to the demand and erected mints of
their own, and by introducing steel drills and polishing lathes won a
great advantage over the original wearisome hand processes. The French
sought a still greater advantage by substituting porcelain for shells,
but the Indians were not to be thus easily imposed upon, and the
manufactur