ECONOMICAL USE OF SHELLS. 68 



elaborate drapery stretched across the breast was composed 

 of several thousands of pieces of mother-of-pearl, each 

 separately drilled and fastened together in a manner that 

 would be found difficult for a European artist to copy, with 

 the advantage of iron tools, which were then totally un- 

 known to these interesting islanders.* The highest order 

 of dignity, among the Friendly Islanders, is the permission 

 to wear the orange cowry or Cypraea aurora. 



To many people shells serve many purposes more useful 

 than that of ornament. You must have read that in India, 

 and among the various nations in Africa, a species of cowry 

 (Cyprsea nioneta) is the current coin ; and in the travels 

 of Park you may see a table of their comparative vahie. 

 The Iroquois, and other North American tribes, make their 

 wampum, which serves the purpose of records, from the 

 purj^le-edged valves of the Venus mercenaria ; f and they 

 have also a white wampmn made with a species of the genus 

 Cassis of Lamarck, or of various shells, wdiich they string 

 into a belt ; and, according to Mackenzie, invariably present 

 to strangers when they form or recognize a treaty of amity. 

 The Japanese play a simple game, which they are very fond 

 of, with the valves of a bivalve shell, apparently a species of 

 Venus. " Divers curious figures are painted on the inside, 

 and they serve as an amusement to the Court of the Dairi, 

 or ecclesiastical hereditary emperor, who play with them 

 after the following manner. Large heaps are thrown on the 

 ground, and every one of the company having taken his por- 

 tion, he wins that can shew the most pairs." ;{: In Japan 

 and the southern parts of China and India, the thin flat valves 

 of Ostrea placenta are used instead of glass for windows. 

 From several kinds, but more particularly from the mother- 

 of-pearl shell, the natives of the Polynesian Islands fabricate 

 their fishing-hooks with elaborate care and ingenuity, and 

 they are considered much better than any made in Europe. 

 Many of the domestic utensils of rude or savage people are 

 shells ; § and you must have observed that we have fre- 

 quently imitated these in our porcelain. In India they form 

 elegant drinking-cups of the Nautilus pompilius, which they 

 render costly by car\'ing and painting grotesque devices on 

 its outer surface. Even in our own country, in the days 



* A minute description of the dress is given by Mr. Ellis, Polynesian 

 Rescarclies, i. 412. 



t Gould's Invert. Massachusetts, 86. 



^ Kaempfer's Japan, i. 140. 



§ A spoon is in Latin cochleare, because cockle-shells were first used for 

 the puiposes of a spoon. Sec Fuller's Worthies, i. 397. 



