THE HI-QUA. 23 



borately with fragments of nacre from the 

 haliotis shell, and tufts of dry wool taken from 

 the mountain-goat (Capra americana). 



The short, broken, and inferior shells are strung 

 together in the same manner, but in various 

 lengths, and represent shillings or pence, as the 

 string is either long or short, or the shells 

 defective. All inferior strings, irrespective of 

 either length or quality, are called kop-kops. 

 The lii-qua represents the sovereign, the highest 

 standard of currency, and, as a rule, would pur- 

 chase one male or two female slaves. The value 

 of the slave, estimating it by the sum paid in 

 blankets for a slave at the present day, would be 

 about 50^. sterling. Forty kop-kops equal a hi- 

 qua in value, but various small bargains are 

 made, and small debts paid, with kop-kops, only 

 just as we pay away shillings, or lesser coin. 



Since the Hudson's Bay Company have estab- 

 lished trading-stations along the coast, at the north 

 end of Vancouver Island, and on the main rivers 

 inland, both east and west of the Rocky Mountains, 

 blankets and beaver-skins have become money, 

 so to speak, and the medium of exchange. If you 

 bargain with an Indian in the interior to do any 

 service, you agree to give him so many skins, either 

 per diem, or as a fixed price for the work that is 



