Equivalents of a Cocoa-nut Currency. — Humorous Testimonials. 1 9 



which is not alone of the utmost utility for those who may 

 afterwards visit the islands for purposes of commerce, but also 

 throw a most interesting^ light upon the evidences of civiliza- 

 tion among" the natives.* 



These testimonials also frequently contain very humorous 

 remarks about the unsuspecting natives, who assuredly would 

 be less eager in producing them if they were acquainted with 

 the contents. One of the earliest to. ex tend to us the hand of 

 welcome was a native who called himself Captain Dickson, a 

 handsome, slim, dark-brown figure, with very long, fine, 

 glossy hair hanging over his shoulders, and neatly gathered 

 together with a bark ribbon. In the document presented to 



* Thus, for example, we find on the island of Kar-Nicobar the following speci- 

 mens of barter : — 

 For a sort of hvmting-knife or cutlass, worth about ^\\ 300 pair of ripe cocoa-nuts. 



„ a small knife-blade ... 



„ six table knife-blades 



„ an American knife ... 



„ a hatchet 



„ a musket 



„ a double-barrelled gun 



„ a large spoon 



„ thirty feet of silver-wire 



„ a small cask of rum ... 



„ a flask of arrack 



„ three "sticks" of (negro-heads) tobacco ... 



„ a flask of castor oil ... 



„ a cabin lamp ... 



„ a sack of rice .. . 



„ a piece of blue calico (about 6 to 8 ells) ... 



„ a neck-cloth ... 

 Epsom salts, turpentine, spirit of camphor, eau-de-Cologne, and peppermint, are also 

 much-prized articles of barter, and bring a large profit, being exchanged for old 

 clothes, salt meat, onions, and biscuit. 



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