iawatha was on his way to the country of the Mohawks. He went from one nation to another to teach them the things they needed to know. While on his journey he came to the borders of a lake. It was too deep to wade across, and he stood still thinking whether he should call his magic white canoe to help him or go back. He had come on a long trail and was very tired.
While he was wondering which way was best, the sky was filled with wild ducks. These birds flew down upon the lake and began to drink and to swim. In a few minutes they flew up into the air again, in one great black flock.
Behold! the lake was dry, and its bed was a mass of shells.
Hiawatha knew that the lake had been made dry ground for his sake. He gathered some of the shells [[252]]and, striking them with sharp flints, strung the pieces on strings of sinew. This was the first wampum.
He carried the strings of wampum to the Mohawks, and they believe their tribe to have been the first to use it.
They showed the other tribes how to make the long strings of bead money, and many bands went on strange trails to find the rivers or the lakes where the shells were hidden under the water.
Mounds like small hills have been found by the white men near lakes and streams. When these mounds were uncovered, it was known that they were only heaps of broken shells. The flint stones were not good tools, and the Indians would use only perfect beads. [[253]]
X. LEGEND OF THE ARBUTUS
(Chippewa, 1894)