ROTH] TRADE AND BARTER 633 
rings, of a value under 16 cents, whereas at Samarang, on the Bra- 
zilian side of the border, I had to nart with my trousers for two hind 
quarters of fresh beef. 
818. Crévaux was the first to draw attention to the ignorance of 
the aborigines with regard to the custom of presents: “ When I give 
a knife,” he says, “they always ask me ‘ What do you want?’” (Cr, 
262,404). The converse is equally true; e. g., if the Uaupes Indians 
show one hospitality in the way of cassava, smoked fish, etc., they 
expect something in exchange, and often show themselves very exact- 
ing in this respect (Cou, m1, 171). At the Patamona village of Kari- 
kaparu the chief’s brother upon seeing me walk in lame and weak 
on arrival gave me a long hardwood stick to help support myself. 
I accepted it and asked him how much, but he refused to take any- 
thing, saying it was a present for me. About a week later, when 
opening my “ trade,” he saw some knickknack that took his fancy; 
he asked me for this, reminding me of his previous present to me of 
the stick. 
$19. In the absence of a medium of exchange an Indian has noth- 
ing to sell unless the buyer happens to be in possession of what he 
wants. Thus among the Uaupes River Indians when we first arrived, 
writes Wallace, almost the whole body of the inhabitants came to visit 
us, requesting to see what we had brought to sell. Accordingly we 
spread out our whole stock of fishhooks, knives, ete. . . . which they 
handled and admired in unintelligible languages for about two hours. 
It is necessary to make this exposition in every village, as they will 
bring nothing to sell unless they first know that you have what they 
want in exchange (ARW, 207). 
$20. But cases often arise where the article of traffic is of such a 
nature as not to lend itself to exchange, or, rather, where the article 
required in exchange is not immediately forthcoming, and under 
such circumstances no inconsiderable amount of trust and confidence 
is necessarily imposed upon both parties to the transaction. In the 
purchase of corials and canoes, their [Arawak] most expensive arti- 
cles, the buyer is frequently credited to what we should call a ridicu- 
lous extent, especially as the means seldom exists of enforcing pay- 
ment (HiC, 231). The Boni [bush Negroes] who come and do 
business in the Roucouyenne country are obliged to pay for ham- 
mocks which will not be handed over to them until the following 
summer (Cr, 262). 
821. When buyer and seller are not in immediate touch the inter- 
mediary may be direct or indirect. The Atorai obtain their graters 
from the Taruma not only for their own use but to sell again to the 
Indians of the Takutu (Cou, 11, 308). The Arawak sometimes under- 
60160°—24——41 
