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p. 101 · Read in the full issue
Plea For Data
Pacific Shell-Money
Letter to the Editor I WAS interested to read the Rev.
H. K. Bartlett’s account of the use of shell money amongst the Papuans, in the July number of
Pim.
I have worked on Yap Island, in the US Trust Territory, which is approximately 800 miles north of New Guinea. The natives of Yap used and, to some extent still use, large discs of “stone money.” How ever, as a smaller currency they use polished mother-of-pearl shells.
Ihe edges of the shells are ground town till they are straight. The narrower the resulting shell is, the nore valuable it is, for many shells ire broken in the process of grind ing. A hole is bored at the base, md the big shells have single fibre landles attached. The smaller shells ire tied together with coconut fibre jord.
In New Britain, strings of small hell-money are called itamhu. In r iji, the famous whale’s tooth is jailed a tamhua. Is there a con lection?
Can anybody give me information >n these subjects? I should be (leased to know of any books in rtiich shell money is discussed.
I am, etc.,
J. Valentine.
Kurow, Otago, New Zealand.