A STUDY OF PRIMITIVE MONEY. 



;03 



of cowries, with which they purchased cargoes of palm-oil and other 

 kinds of produce on the west coast of Africa. 



Siuimonds gives the following as the imports of cowries into the port 

 of Lagos alone in three years : 



Cwts. 

 1868 65,496 



1869 56,040 



1870 50,340 



Total . 

 Or nearly 8,594 tons. 



171, 876 



The statistics of late years are not accessible. It is not unlikely that 

 the trade interests involved have led to the suppression or non-publica- 

 tion of the extent of the transactions. 



According to Pickering this species was formerly used as money in the 

 Sandwich Islands. He says : * "An estimable and intelligent Hawaiian 

 lady gave me the following particulars respecting former customs: 

 * * * Money was certainly known, for with a string of cowries (Gy- 

 prcea moneta) it was possible to buy any article wanted. Specimens of 

 the same shell that were finer than usual, having a high polish and deep 

 yellow color, were extravagantly valued, and could only be worn by 

 the highest chiefs, who also exclusively possessed wooden calabashes." 



Pickering further remarks : " On ascending the Nile I met with the 

 first instances of mixed descent at Kenneh, the modern capital of the 

 Thebaud, about thirty miles below the site of ancient Thebes. Market 

 women of the Ethiopian race likewise made their appearance at Kin- 

 neb, where a change took place in the weights and measures, and cow- 

 ries were seen used as money." The same author observed that " cow- 

 ries were seen used as money at Poona, the species being Gyprcea 

 annulusP 



Gyprcea moneta, also known as Guinea money, has been used as a 

 financial medium in connection with the African slave trade, and doubt- 

 less many a poor negro has been kidnapped and sold, and lost his lib- 

 erty for a greater or less number of these shells. 



The main sources of supply of this species of shell are the Maldive 

 aud Laccadive Islands, two groups in the 

 Arabian Sea. 



Gyprcea annulus, or the ringed cowry, so 

 called, the back or upper side of the shell 

 being ornamented with a bright orange-col- 

 ored ring, aside from its use as money, as 

 before mentioned, is also used by the Asiatic 

 islanders to adorn their dress and to weight 

 their fishing nets. Specimens of it were 

 found by Dr.Layard in the ruins of Nimroud. t 



Fig. 2. 

 Einged COWRY (Cyprcea anmdus). 



* Races of Man, Bohu's ed., 1863. 



t Woodward's Manual, 2d ed., p. 233. 



