Part 19 (1/2)
”But how do the people get the articles to exchange for these things?”
”The people do not acc.u.mulate articles to buy other articles with.
Instead, they work to get money, and with this money they buy the things.”
”I do not know what you mean by that. What is 'money'?”
”It is an article which tells what everything else is worth.”
”Then it must be wonderful. I would like to see that remarkable thing which can tell what everything else is worth.”
John took some of the coins from his pocket. ”Here is some of it, which we use on Wonder Island.”
The Chief smiled. He held them in his hand. He knew the meaning of the hole in the center. They were intended, as he thought, to be threaded on a string, and used as an ornament.
They fascinated him. He had never seen anything so attractive. He looked at John, while he thought, but did not speak. Then John said: ”This is worth one cent, and this larger one five cents.”
He compared the two. Finally, he said: ”What makes this worth so much more than the other, and why are they worth anything?”
”Because there is so much metal,--so much copper, in each.”
”But copper is of no use. I cannot eat it, and it will not clothe me.”
”No, but if you have this money then you can get the clothes, and the size of them will tell just how much clothing you can get.”
”I do not understand it. Where can I go and get clothing with these round pieces!”
”You must go where the clothing is, or the goods must be brought to you.”
”Well, if we are here, at a place where there should be no clothing, or no food, this _money_, as you call it, would not enable me to clothe or feed myself?”
”a.s.suredly not.”
”Then it has no value?”
”No; it merely measures the value of something which I can eat or wear, or use.”
”Then why not use a taro root, or a fowl, or wisps of fibre?”
”That would be all right, if we could have a common understanding between us of how much a taro bulb was worth by the side of a bundle of fibre, and how large the bundle should be to exchange fairly with an armful of Amarylla tubers.”
On the third day the boys, together with John, a party of the boys, and three natives under the lead of Calmo, started for the northern end of the island. John had now learned that the island was entirely unlike the Wonder Island formation.
The latter was fairly circular in form, whereas the one they were now about to explore was narrow and long. That part of the southern portion which they had carefully examined, in order to learn its agricultural possibilities, was rolling, and in many places had level plateaus, not anywhere at a greater alt.i.tude than three or four hundred feet above sea level.
There was higher ground to the north, where the climate was uninviting, so Beralsee said, and it was for that reason they made it a convict colony.
John was anxious to see the people who were exiled from their homes on account of their crimes. Furthermore, he was impressed with the idea that the upper end showed volcanic upheavals, which would be likely to expose mineral formations.
Gruesome tales were current of the ferocity of the convicts. It was no wonder that the poor victims, whom George had prevented from being expelled several days before, regarded their deliverance as such a great blessing.