326 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1887. 



between the tribe in question and others situated along the Pacific 

 Ocean or Gulf of California was rendered easy. Don Jose Cortez, 

 writing of the tribes near the Colorado in 1799, speaks of " the white 

 beads they get on the shores of the Gulf of California." 



The more general form of kol-kol, combined or arranged in various 

 ways, single and double strings, bracelets, etc., from as far east as 

 southern Utah,* may be seen in the National Museum. 



The finest example extant is probably that obtained by Lieutenant 

 Raj 7 t from the Hupa or Hoopah Indians of northern California. It is 

 made of quite small Olivellas of the two species, 0. biplicata and 0, 

 intorta, carefully selected specimens, and neatly strung. If extended 

 in a single length it would measure nearly thirty feet, and includes 

 probably over a thousand shells. 



Occasionally large specimens of 0. biplicata were cut, or more likely 

 ground down, length wisej and then perforated, so as to admit of attach- 

 ment or stringing; but this is not a common form, and was most likely 

 for ornament only. 



Powers, writing about hawocJc, says : " This may be called their silver, 

 and is the great medium of all transactions, while the money answering 

 to gold is made from various species of the ear shell" (Haliotis) and is 

 called « Uhllo or iil-lo" 



UHL-LO, UL-LO, OR ABALONE MONEY. 



These shells are without doubt the " fancy marine shells" previously 

 mentioned, which were valued at " $3 to $10, or $15, according to their 

 beauty," and belong to one or the other of the species known to couchol- 

 ogists as Haliotis rufescens, H. splendens, and H. cracherodii, all iudige- 

 nous forms, popularly kuown as abalones;§ the aulones of the Spanish. 



It is not a matter of wonder that these beautiful shells excited the 

 admiration of the savage. Many tons of them have within the last 

 twenty years been collected and shipped to Europe and China as well 

 as to the Eastern United States, where they are manipulated into va- 

 rious forms for useful and decorative purposes. The California Indians, 

 with their primitive tools of obsidian, cut them up " into oblong strips 

 from 1 to 2 inches in length, according to the curvature of the shell, 

 and about a third as broad as they are long. * * * Holes are drilled 

 near one end and they are thereby fastened to a string, * * * hang- 

 ing edge to edge Ten pieces generally constitute a string, and the 

 larger pieces rate at $1 apiece, $10 a string; the smaller in proportion, 



* 14621, also 11986, southern Utah. 



1 77185, Hoopah Valley, California. 



t San Miguel Island, California [No. 29156], in National Museum. 



§ Holmes says that " H. IcamtchatTcana, which furnishes a dark-green nacre, is much 

 used farther north." This is probably a mistake, and H. splendens the species in- 

 tended, as the former is the least brilliant and has the thinnest shell of any of the 

 west American species. 



