omething we wish in exchange."

"Then of what use is it to have the coins?"

"Simply because we must have something to measure by. If you buy a yard
of cloth you must have a yardstick. If you want a certain quantity of
grain you must have a quart or a bushel measure. Now that yard or
bushel, each, is worth so much, and they are measured by a coin or
coins, of which both know the value."

"I understand now. You are simply trading a certain marked coin for a
bushel of grain, instead of giving something else for it."

"Exactly; money in itself has no value. You cannot eat it, or make it
serve as an article of clothing, or drink it. You can only measure the
needed things with it."

The practical operation of the use of coins as money had its first trial
on the following day, when the Professor had two hundred cords prepared,
on which were strung five one-cent coins and a five-cent coin.

The warriors were told to file along the wagon, and George handed out
one of the coin sets to each as he passed. They looked at the bright
disks curiously, at first, and were informed that they were being
rewarded for the work they had done. This was a singular way of
requiting them for their services. They had obtained food in plenty, and
therefore this way their pay; but now, in addition, they were being
rewarded.

Uraso explained the new proceeding. They had conspicuously displayed the
ramie cloth, made in different colors, which had been woven during the
past two weeks. Not a word was said about that. The goods displayed
seemed to be of more value than the coins. It was something they could
wear, and they envied the manner in which the white people clothed
themselves.

John went up to Jim, who had the fiber cloth in charge, and asked him
for a piece, indicating the length of the yardstick, which he held, and
when he was told that it was worth one of the small coins, John made a
great show of taking one of the coins from the cord and paying for the
goods which Jim cut off.

Tom did likewise, and this was very soon repeated, some taking two yards
or more. The natives regarded this as a new species of barter, and it
did not take them long to see the peculiar features of the transaction.
Before night fully half of the coins were again back in the hands of the
treasurer.

The next day the boys, at the instigation of the Professor, began a
species of trade with the natives, purchasing some trinket or other
article, for which coin