sewan

As an employment in winter they make sewan, which is an oblong bead that they make from cockle-shells, which they find on the seashore, and they consider it as valuable as we do money here, since one can buy with it everything they have; they also make bands of it, which the women wear on the forehead under the hair, and the men around the body; and they are as particular about the stringing and sorting as we can be here about pearls.

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 1898

Amsterdam, their island went by the name of _sewan hacky_, or the "land of the sewan shell," so numerous were the sewan manufactories upon it.

Wampum A Paper Presented to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia Ashbel Woodward

The number and extent of the sewan manufactories upon Long Island may be inferred from the frequent and immense shell heaps left by the Indians in all of which scarcely a whole shell is to be found.

Wampum A Paper Presented to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia Ashbel Woodward

But generally sewan prevailed among the Dutch, and wampum among the English.

Wampum A Paper Presented to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia Ashbel Woodward

These Indian beads were known under a variety of names among the early colonists, and were called, _wampum_, _wampom-peage_, or _wampeage_, frequently _peage_ or _peake_ only, and in some localities _sewan_ or

Wampum A Paper Presented to the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia Ashbel Woodward

They have a chief Sackima whom they choose by election, who generally is he who is richest in sewan, though of less consideration in other respects.

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 1898

The Sackima has his fixed fine of sewan for fighting and causing blood to flow.

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 1898

At the end of March they begin to break up the earth with mattocks, which they buy from us for the skins of beavers or otters, or for sewan.

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 1898

That being done, the wife must provide the food for herself and her husband, as far as breadstuffs are concerned, and [should they fall short] she must buy what is wanting with her sewan.

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 1898

In some places it is from three to four leagues broad, and it has several creeks and bays, where many savages dwell, who support themselves by planting maize and making sewan, and who are called Souwenos and Sinnecox.

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 1898