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If a Man has occasion for more Cloth then he can procure from his neighbours, he takes a large hog or two, to the House of some of the People who Inhabit the Valleys and whose Chief Employment it is, and agrees with him to make the Cloth by such a time and in such quantity as shall be deemd the Value of the Hogs — which being settled, the Undertaker calls his neighbours together, and tells them He wants so much Cloth made by such a day and those who Choose to be concerned signify it to him; the Hogs are then killd and a feast made, after which each Furnish their proportion & the Weomen meet and put it together, and when finished it is delivered to the purchaser — but should the Undertaker not fulfil His agreement, or delay the time, through Negligence the other may if He is able plunder his house as for a theft. If a Man wants a house or a Canoe built, he employs one or more Carpenters, paying them before hand one half of what shall be Judged the Value of the Work they are to perform in Hogs, Cloth, Oil, Matting &c — and finds them in provisions all the time they are at work and when the Work is Compleat he pays the remainder according to Agreement, but should he refuse or neglect and the Neighbours think the labour worth the stipulated agreement then they may plunder him of all that he is worth. If a Man wants to be Constantly Supplied with Fish He takes a Hog to a Fisherman and according to the size He agrees with the Fisherman to supply Him with Fish for one or more months, which they seldom fail to perform, Weather permitting for the stated time. What they look upon as fulfilling the Agreement is bringing as much Fish evry day as the Family can Eat, and for Failure of Promise they may be Plundered as before. Sometimes they agree for a supply evry other day and when the Fisherman fulfils His promise well they make Him a Feast — and the Fish they bring are sometimes equal to ten times the price at a Fair exchange. Such is the Method they use in trade, and if a Man wants help to Cultivate a piece of Ground for Cloth, Yava, Tarro &c.— he Employs his labourers in the same manner, always paying them the whole or one half of their hire before hand — but their Principal Method is by Gifts and Presents to each other, and it is not Common to refuse the Greatest Stranger any thing he stands in need of whether Food raiment or any thing else.
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Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the 1935 Print Edition edited by Owen Rutter, page 165, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-morrison-034.html