Use of Coivyy-slulh for Cinycu,\\ Ainu lets, etc. 1.S3 



feudal lord with seven, that of a threat oftkcr with five, 

 and that of an ordinary official with three.'" 



In some of the oul-of-the-wax- corners of (."hina ccjwries 

 remained in circulation for man\' centuries. In Marco 

 Polo's time (a.D. 1271 — 91) cowries, called "porcellani " 

 b\- this traveller, were still in use in tlie country of Yunnan, 

 the shells being Leathered at the <;roup of islands now 

 known as Pulo Condore, (^ff Cochin China.'" 



In the i6th century the covvr^z-currcncy seems to have 

 been officially suspended in Yunnan province. At the 

 present time cowries appear to have completel)- lost their 

 money value in Yunnan, since Lieutenant Garmer found 

 them nowhere in use north of Luang Prabang, Laos ; and 

 in western Yunnan they were worn only as ornament by 

 the Kakhyens. Carl l^ock likewise saw cowries on the 

 head-masks of the leaders of the mule-caravans which 

 come from Yunnan into northern l^^u'ther India.'^^ 



It is doubtful whether the cowry was used as currenc}- 

 in Japan, though it is possible that in olden times shells 

 from the neighbouring Liu Kiu Islands were so used. 

 The Japanese name, Takara (^ == prosperity, riches), kai or 

 o^ai ( = shell), may indicate their use as mone)\ In 

 Kampfer's " Description of Japan " (London, 1727, Pk.i., 

 ch. ii.) appears: "Takara gai, called Kauri in India, 

 brought from the Maldives and other islands and im- 

 ported into Bengal, Pegu and Siam, where it serves as 

 current money." K. Floren/, reports that the Japanese 

 women at their confinement hold in the hand a " Ko)-asu- 

 gai (Ea.sy-delivery-shellj, a species of cowry," in order to 

 ensure certain and ea.sy deliver}-, a practise analagous to 



1"" Ciiie ])e (.ronl, ,'/. ,//.. p. 275. 



1"' C..l<,nel Henry ^■ulc, " Tlic I?ook nl Ser Marcc I'..!..,' LnnfL.ti. 

 1871, vol. ii., pp. Y) tl srij. 



'"'^ .'-^clmcider. <>/. ./V., y. 107. 



