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Tracts of land large enough for a town were sometimes sold for a barrel of cider. Now, this might appear rather a hard bargain for the Indians; but it must be considered that they had more land than they wanted, and no ready-made coats, or kettles, or jew's-harps, or cider.
The women frequently play on a sort of guitar made of a section of bamboo from the outside of which narrow strings are cut. Bamboo Jew's-harps and mouth flutes are played by the men, but the nose flute, so common in most parts of the Philippines, was not seen in use here.
Then two of the boys took out their Jew's-harps alas! alas! that was the only musical instrument within their reach, until the coveted bagpipes should be purchased and gaily struck up with 'Green grow the rashes, O! as a preliminary flourish. What was this now?
Some time after this a peddler came by one day and stopped to show his things to the boys, several of whom bought pocket-combs, jew's-harps, and various trifles of that sort. Among the knives was a little white-handled penknife that Lewis wanted very much, but he had spent all his pocket-money, and no one had any to lend him.
But I would have perished on the spot sooner than believe it. The epoch of rapping spirits, and all the wonders that have followed in their train, such as tables upset by invisible agencies, bells self-tolled at funerals, and ghostly music performed on jew's-harps, had not yet arrived. Alas, my countrymen, methinks we have fallen on an evil age!
As may be supposed, very large prices were not paid for these lands; but the transactions were strictly honorable, because the parties on each side gave what they had, and all were satisfied with what they got. The payments for land frequently consisted partly of ready-made coats, kettles, and in some cases of jew's-harps.
We twanged at once a hundred Jew's-harps in his ear, and before his eyes we paraded the effigy of a Jew, dressed in a gabardine of rags and paper.
When he asked capitalists for money, they replied that he might as well expect to lease jew's-harps as telephones. Finally, he was compelled to resort to strategy where argument had failed. He had received an order from Colonel Thomas Scott, who wanted a wire between his house and his office.
Fuller afterwards speaks of the Sheffield knives as "for common use of the country people," and he cites an instance of a knave who cozened him out of fourpence for one when it was only worth a penny. In 1600 Sheffield became celebrated for its tobacco-boxes and Jew's-harps.
The macasla only blinds them temporarily, however, and those fortunate enough to escape soon recover, suffering no ill effects. Ten canoes, full of splendid fish, were the reward of the macasla fiesta. Weird instruments made their appearance: drums of bell-metal, jew's-harps of bamboo.
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