158 COILED BASKETRY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA [ETH. ANN. 41 
One small basket (probably the smallest burden basket or spa’nék") 
was exchanged for— 
One pair of secondhand leggings of Hudson’s Bay cloth (red or blue). 
One secondhand Hudson’s Bay cloth coat (white or blue). 
One pair of men’s ordinary new moccasins. 
One piece of heavy buckskin, enough to make a pair of moccasins for a man. 
Two of the largest-size baskets, burden or kettle shapes, or one 
large .stlik'* imbricated all over, together with one small basket, 
purchased one 2-year-old male broken horse. 
All of the baskets traded were new, of good material and work- 
manship, and imbricated. One of noticeably inferior make would not 
be worth as much. 
Spuzzum informants state that in the old days a dugout canoe was 
worth a great deal more than the best basket. If any canoe was 
ever traded for one the latter must have been unusually large and 
fine and included among other articles offered in the transaction or 
else the canoe must have been very small and old. 
Among the Lower Thompson imbricated baskets were of much 
less value, but no satisfactory information concerning trade customs 
at this period could be obtained. It seems that prices varied much 
even among themselves and in some cases baskets were to be bought 
for very little. 
The Upper Uta’mqt and Lytton informants on the whole verified 
the statements made by people of the Spences Bridge division as to 
the prices paid by the upper division. With them dressed buckskin 
or leather was the chief article of exchange because of the abundance 
of deer in their country. 
They said that a new, ordinarily good-sized burden basket measur- 
ing about 30 or 35 centimeters in height and decorated with an 
average amount of imbrication would bring an ordinary dressed 
buckskin. 
A big basket, one of the burden variety of the largest size, or a 
huge kettle basket, or a good-sized .stlik would be worth from one 
and one-half to two good buckskins. A smaller size, such as a spa’nék 
or spa’pEenEk"™ or a large bowl, nut-shape or round basket, imbri- 
cated all over, might be exchanged for one dressed doeskin. 
The largest .stlik size, when entirely covered with imbrication, 
could be exchanged for two or three buckskins and sometimes for as 
many as four, if the basket were of unusual size or ornamented with 
striking designs which attracted the buyer. Such baskets always 
brought more, whatever were the kinds or shapes. Prices really 
depended on the size and the amount of ornamentation, the latter 
being evidence of the great amount of labor and time expended. 
According to the informants the manufacture of large wholly imbri- 
cated baskets seems to be steadily decreasing. 
4 See p. 197. 
