SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— H. 477 



maintenance of stable social relations within and between self-perpetuating 

 groups. But stability and persistence have, in schematic formulations, 

 been given too absolute a character. The number, constitution and 

 functions of Idn groups in a given society are in fact subject to significant 

 changes as a result of processes of fission, accretion and combination. 

 Population trends are likely to affect the balance of these processes. Their 

 importance in modifying the social structure over relatively short periods 

 of time are demonstrated by field data from communities of declining and 

 of increasing population. 



Dr. M. Fortes. — A religious ' racket ' in the Gold Coast (2.50). 



The Tong Hills ' fetish ' is widely known in the Gold Coast. It shows 

 a primitive, technically backward society exploiting the credulity of people 

 of superior culture already partly westernised. The ' fetish ' is actually 

 one of several, each the cult centre of a group of clans. Esoterically, the 

 cult is a blend of ancestor and earth reverence, initiation ceremonies, 

 calendrical festivals, magic and oracle. Exoterically, it purports to confer 

 fertility and prosperity, and to be an omniscient oracle. The countrymen 

 of the cult custodians scoff at this. But more distant tribes reverence the 

 ' fetishes ' with fear and devotion, making pilgrimages to them with 

 valuable gifts. An elaborate organisation sustains this traffic. In recent 

 years, chiefly through the enterprise of one man, utilising his power as 

 Headman, one ' fetish ' has extended its influence widely through Ashanti 

 and the Coast. All classes of people, including literates and Christians, 

 flock thither, paying large sums to supplicate for children, health, wealth. 

 The Headman's messengers, in the name of the ' fetish,' keep the pilgrims 

 up to scratch by persuasion or threats. This traffic is so lucrative that 

 competition for it has split the Hill clans into hostile factions. 



Mrs. A. Kingston Quiggin. — Primitive money : origin and evolution 



(3-25)- 

 The object of this paper is : (i) To draw attention to the collection of 

 about 300 examples of primitive currency in the Museum of Archaeology 

 and Ethnology. (2) To show how a study of such a collection upsets 

 economic theories of the origin and evolution of money. The usual theory 

 is that money results from barter in one (or all) of three ways : (i) From 

 the inconvenience of barter — ' hungry hatter theory.' (2) From selection of 

 some article wanted by all — ' coconut theory.' (3) From substitution of a 

 token for the articles bartered — knives, hoes, etc. Investigation of the 

 present-day use of primitive currency suggests that it is not derived 

 primarily from barter, but from present-giving, ' bride-price ' and wergeld. 

 These fix the standard of value and evolve a recognised medium of exchange 

 (two of the main functions of money) and endow certain objects with a 

 ceremonial value irrespective of their intrinsic worth. The whole process 

 is illustrated in backward societies at the present day. 



Sir Richard Paget, Bt. — The influence of sign language on civilisation (4.0). 



The linguistic sciences can have little or no relation to Anthropology 

 until they study the gestures rather than the sounds of human speech. 



The born deaf mute naturally expresses only generalised ideas, viz. by a 

 general pantomime ; his mentality is pre-Aurignacian ! 



