V.—THE NaturAL History or Money, BY Pror. J. DAVIDSON, 
Put. D., Fredericton, N. B. 
(Read May 14th, 1900). 
Itis hardly possible to determine whether there ever was a 
time in the history of the race when each individual was self- 
sufficient, and, like the Homeric Cyclops, paid no regard to 
others, Some of the Australian tribes are so low in the scale 
of civilization that even barter is unknown amongst them, but 
whether these represent the universal primitive type cannot be 
determined one way or the other. It is evident, however, 
wherever we find the first germs of social life, we find, at the 
same time, a kind of rude division of labor wnich necessitates, 
and renders possible, the beginnings of trade. Trade in its 
origin is simply barter, the direct exchange of one article for 
another. But barter, however simple in appearance, is more 
complicated than modern exchange. It must often have hap- 
pened in the early history of trade that two parties failed to 
make a trade for the simple reason that, while both were anxious 
to give what they had, in exchange for what they wanted, neither 
of them needed or desired what the other had to offer. This 
lack of coincidence has frequently placed travellers in very 
great straits. If the native who holds the store of food does 
not find in articles which the explorer displays to catch the 
aboriginal fancy, something which attracts him, he passes on, 
and the traveller and his party have to go hungry. Sir R. 
Burton warns the would-be explorer against assuming that any 
sort of trinkets will suffice for the purchase of supplies and the 
hiring of labor. The African native has his own standard of 
taste, and no matter how gaudy and how gimcrack the stock of 
Brummagem goods displayed may be, the native will take such 
things only as agree with his standard of taste. Nothing will 
induce the primitive savage to take what he does not immed- 
lately require in exchange for the food the traveller desires, 
(179) 
