Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-16
THE TRUE STORY OF YAP

cocoa nuts, fish, yams, and other easily
found foods. Their houses are built of
beams with low thatched roofs
Everything is at hand, and their wants
are few. The Yappers have no amoi-
tions, no worries, and few jealousies.
There is no trouble about getting work
done because there is SO little to do.
The bachelors of a tribe build and live
in what corresponds to a fraternity
house. When one marries, he builds
hut for simple housekeeping. and re-
turns to the mems quarters mainly for
powwows and other ceremonies to
which women are not invited. The chill
dren of Yap roam about and pick up
food anywhere, and sleep as often in
one house as in another.
Stone Money
Life is reduced to its lowest terms
without sacrificing comfort. Yet the
people of this island do not go to the
limits of communism. They believe
strongly in personal property, and they
have a rigid monetary system. IT IS
extremely rude to enter another s.
house without invitation. AS for the
money, it is not in constant circula-
ton, for there is not a great deal to
buy, but there is a good deal of 1t
, in evidence. To purchase some
trinket, or fish from the fishermen,
shell money is used. But in big trans
actions, in a real estate deal, or in
buying canoe, stone money must be
produced.
This stone money is quarried on an
island 400 miles away and shipped TO
Yap where it is official currency. Each
piece is as round as the cutters can
make 1t, and has n hole in it. Size de-
termineS the relative value of the coin.
A small coin would be about a. root in
diameter a middle sized coin would be
the size of a cartwheel, and a big coin
might be as much as twelve feet in
diameter.
OF course, these biggest pieces of
currency cannot be carried about They
cannot even be got inside the native
houses. Usually the owner OF the for
tune has it propped up against the
house, against n tree in the ward.
and there it stays Nobody could steal
it without rousing the ncighborhood.
And there is practically no theft IN
zap. anyway.
When small pieces of stone money
change hands, the new owner hoists
his pay on a pole and staggers home
with it. If the payment is too unwield-
ly for him to roll or drag home, and
he does not wish to call in assistance,
1t is quite customary to leave tho mon,
oy at the former owners house and
perhaps mark it so that the new own
or can claim It.
1t iS not at all necessary TO be aple
to point out ones treasure to be known
as a wealthy citizen in Ssp. 1t is sat
the money, and to have 1t so known
| among ones friends Thus. one promt-
| nept family had great piece OF stone
money made and was bringing IT home
on n raft when tho stone Topped over
| board and sank. The crew escaped
| drowning and came on to zap TO tell
| OF tho occurrence. 1t was not accounted
| n financial disaster for the money eN-
| listed. There were number of reliable
| witnesses who had seen II, AMI could
show the place where 1t disappeared.
1t was just as good at the bottom OF
the bay, they decided as 1t would have
been in the front yard of the family
mansion. So the family continued to be
regarded as wealthy, and this money,
for several generations has had the
same purchasing value as any visible
currency.
These people who find life so simple
are not semi civilized or even bar
barians, but they arc rather high up
in the savage scale. DR.. turncss de-
scribcs them as "of the Malayan type
"A light coffee colored skin: haid black
and inclined to wave or curl. not
crinkly. like tho Malanesian and Afri-
can. eyes very dark brown, almost
black cheek bones rather high ana
noses inclined to be hooked. but not
prominent. Since the sale OF intoSt-
cants and gun powder has been pro
hibiteJ, except to the trustworthy
chiefs. they are gentle, docilo and
lazy"
These natives cannot read or write,
oven their own language, so they may
not know that the United States Is
engaging in an aftcr-the- war; conflict
over their little island. They probably
would not care anyway. 60 long as the
battle RACES at n distance. All tho Zap
pcrs want is peace and quiet.