AUXILIARY EXCHANGE. 397 



jacent peoples, the Kutchins and Eskimos, show the double 

 purpose to which the beads are put. 



1 They arc great traders ; beads are their wealth, used in the place 

 of money, and the rich among them literally load themselves with 

 necklaces and strings of various patterns. The nose and ears are 

 adorned with shells.&quot; 



In his description of the Californians, Bancroft, while enu 

 merating as partly constituting money some rare things and 

 others costing much labour, names shell-money as its chief 

 component. 



&quot; The shell which is the regular circulating medium is white, hollow, 

 about a quarter of an inch through, and from one to two inches in 

 length. On its length depends its value.&quot; 



So is it in Polynesia. Says Powell &quot; The native money in 

 New Britain consists of small cowrie shells strung on strips 

 of cane.&quot; And among the Solomon Islanders, according to 

 Coote 



&quot;The general currency, consisting of strings of shell beads about the 

 size of a shirt button, very well made, and strung in fathom lengths, 

 is of two kinds, known as red money and white money. Above this 

 in the scale of value come dog s teeth, which are the gold of this coin 

 age ... A hole is drilled in each tooth, and when a man has a 

 sufficient number, he sets them on a band of suitable width and wears 

 them as a collar.&quot; 



It was thus in the earliest days of China, and is thus now 

 throughout Africa. Waitz remarks that cowries, used by 

 the Negroes as money, are, by other African races Kaffirs, 

 Hottentots, Hassanieh-Arabs used as ornaments. The 

 transformation into currency is clearly shown by this ex 

 tract from Cameron. 



&quot;A curious currency is in vogue here [Kawel6, Central Africa], 

 everything being priced in beads called sofi, something in appearance 

 like small pieces of broken pipe-stem. 



&quot; At the commencement of the market, men with wallets full of these 

 beads deal them out in exchange for others with people desirous of 

 making purchases ; and when the mart is closed they receive again 

 from the market people and make a profit on both transactions, after 

 the manner usual amongst money-changers. &quot; 



