Tlte New Britain Carrenet/, or Shdl-rnoney. 51 



The great disadvantage of the "tabu " is its destructibility 

 T^y fire, to which native houses are so liable. Recently 

 several coils, probably amounting to a thousand fathoms, 

 were destroyed in one house near our home. 



It will be evident from what has been said, that the 

 tendency of trade is to cut up the "tabu " into veiy small 

 pieces. That which has been much used is full of joints, 

 sometimes with only three or four inches between. This, 

 and all the smaller pieces, are re-threadcd on new cane, and 

 all " tabu " that is put by is that which has been re-threadcd. 

 When a man finds that he has more than he needs for his 

 ordinarj^ business ]3urposes, and enough to make a roll of one 

 hundred or two hundred fathoms, he makes a hoop of cane 

 with fern leaves twisted around it, to which several lengths 

 of " tabu " are bound, and others added till a large coil is 

 made. These coils vary in size from two to five feet in 

 diameter, but the ordinary size is from two to three feet in 

 diameter, and from eight to ten inches thick. These contain 

 from one hundred to two hundred fathoms. They are most 

 convenient in the event of fire or quarrels, the women quickly 

 put their heads through them and run off with them. Persons 

 making up large quantities of "tabu" have private marks, 

 e.g., one threads the claw of a crab, or part of a tentacle of a 

 lobster, or a sea shell on eveiy few fathom.s ; or instead of 

 threading all the faces of the shells the same way, he threads 

 a small piece here and there through the whole, with the 

 shells face to face, or every second couple face to face. About 

 the locality of our home, it is commonly believed that a 

 certain chief. To Kaiya by name, has become wealthy through 

 witchcraft. Thus, he puts aside shells enough to make u]) 

 four or five fathoms, then with certain ceremonies, which of 

 course he keeps secret, it increases to ten fathoms. These 

 coils are wrapjied up in pandanus leaves, or in the stipule of 

 the betel-palm, or in banana leaves enclosed in nicely plaited 

 cane. 



'There is an evident danger here, as in other countries, of 

 money being locked up in the hands of the wealthy ; but the 

 danger here is greater, as these people have fewer wants, and 

 can almost, if not quite, supply them all from their own 

 plantations, or by the labour of their wives and menials. 

 But there are certain customs, the principal puri)Ose of which 

 appears to be, to keep the money in circulation. To fully 

 describe these would lead us within the scope of future 

 papers, e.g., marriage and funeral ceremonies, but it will be 



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