Ethnography of ^Micronesia. 16"^ 



the specimen I obtained was perhaps one of the smallest, with a 

 diameter of only 7-3 cm. The latter may not be intended for use ; 

 but it does not differ from the larger ones except in size, for it 

 has a hole in the center, so that a piece of inner bark of the 

 hibiscus tree may be passed through it. 



Now hmestone, the material of which this money is made 

 is found in Palau and not in Yap. If they had the material 

 ill their own island, the natives of Yap could make this stone 

 money in large quantities, with the probable result that the pieces 

 would no longer be of any value. But the Yap Islanders sail to 

 Palau, some 240 miles distant in a south-western direction, in 

 order to obtain their stone money. Wheels cut from limestone 

 beds or rock are carried back to Yap, where they are valued as 

 money. This is done at the risk of personal safety and at the 

 cost of much labour ; for the natives, who do not possess good 

 vessels which would facdhtate tlie transportation of the stone 

 money from Palau to Yap, must rely upon their canoes or rafts, 

 and this circumstance accounts for the great value set upon the 

 stone wheels by the natives. In Malakal, an islet of l\ilau, two 

 large pieces of stone money can be seen lying on the shore, 

 tliey were probably left there, owing to the difficulty of loading 

 or transporting them on the canoe. Of course, the value of 

 the piece rises in proportion to its size, because of the greater 

 difficulty in cutting and transporting. The natives measure the 

 diameter of the piece by stretching the thumb and forefinger. 

 However, as may easily be supposed, mere size is not valued much 

 unless combined with fineness of material, beauty of colour, and 

 regularity of shape, etc. The islanders try hard to secure such 

 pieces, but their endeavours are, of course, attended with no small 

 difficulty. It is natural, therefore, that some enterprising foreigners. 



