318 



shell (Dentalium entails or Entalis vulgaris). Both of the fur companies 

 on the river trade with them, and at very high prices." He further 

 remarks that his spelling "hya-qua n conveys a closer approximation 

 to the usual pronunciation of the word then Mr. Lord's "hiqua." 



The use of these shells for nasal ornamentation,* as observed by 

 Mr. Whymper, at Fort Yukon, is practiced by the Californian In- 

 dians. While at Crescent City in 1861 we saw a medicine-man be- 

 longing to one of the neighboring tribes thus curiously decorated. He 

 had perforated the partition which separates the nostrils, and into the 

 hole had inserted from each side, point passed by point, two of these 

 shells. 



This unique ornamentation was further improved by the sticking of 

 the feathers of some species of wild fowl into the larger end of each of 

 the hollow shells. 



Whymper gives the scientific name of the Tusk-shell as Dentalium en- 

 tails or Entalis vulgaris. Now, this species of Tusk-shell is a North At- 

 lantic form ; the Pacific coast species is Dentalium indianorum.j 



The Atlantic form, which is abundantly obtained in Europe, has been 

 largely imported for the Indian trade ; it is highly probable that a great 

 part of the Tusk-shells that have been in circulation of late years do not 

 belong to the indigenous species, but have been worked off upon the 

 Indians by the traders. 



Among "the California tribes the Tusk-shells were called Alii co cheek, 

 or dill co-chick^ the latter being the orthography of Mr. Powers. The 

 same writer observed the use of this species of money-shell among the 

 Cahrocs or Karoks, who arrange it on strings, the shortest being worth 

 with them 25 cents, the longest $2. * * * The unit of currency is a 

 string the length of a man's arm, with a certain number of the longer 

 shells below the elbow, and a certain number of the shorter ones above. 

 This shell money is called dlllcochick, not only on the Klamath, but 

 from Crescent City to Eel Eiver, though the tribes using it speak dif- 

 ferent languages. 



When the Americans first arrived in the country an Indian would 

 give from $40 to $50 in gold for a string of it; but now it is principally 

 the old Indians who value it at all. § 



" Hupa dlli-co -chick is rated a little differently from the Karok. The 

 standard of measurement is a string of five shells. Nearly every man 

 has ten lines tattooed across the inside of his left arm, about half way 

 between the wrist and elbow, and in measuring shell money he takes 

 the string in his right hand, draws one end over his left thumb nail and 

 if the other end reaches to the uppermost of the tattoo-lines the five 

 shells are worth $25 in gold, or $5 a shell. Of course it is only one in 



* Mentioned also in Franklin's narrative : Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, 

 vol. ii, p. 84. 



t Sometimes called Dentalium preliosum. 



t Meaning among the Yuroks, literally, Indian money. 



§ Overland Monthly, vol. VIII, 



