On Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:22:13 -0500, Anne Pemberton wrote

> The list of truck goods is very helpful. Can you suggest what the 
> value of, say some hoes and some scissors and maybe some pretty 
> beads would be in baskets of corn?

Making a rough guess, I'd say probably one to two dozen.

From Strachey, here's a description of trade between Samuel Argall and the
Patawomeck [Potomac] tribe in 1610. Argall is getting 400 bushels plus furs
for 40 shillings (2 pounds) worth of trade goods. Bear in mind though, he has
to go all the way up the Potomac River to Aquia Creek to get it at tha rate. I
would imagine the exchange rate being more favorable to the Indians the closer
you got  to Jamestown.

"Within this river, Captain Samuell Argoll in a small river which the Indians
call Quiho, anno 1610, trading in a bark called the Discovery for corn with
the great king of Patawomeck, from him obtained well near 400 bushels of wheat
[corn], peas, and beans, beside many furs for 9 lbs. of copper, 4 bunches of
beads, 8 dozen hatchets, five dozen knives, 4 bunches of bells, one dozen
scissors - all not much more than 40 shillings English; as also from the
king's brother, I-Opassus, king of a place called Pastanzo, [he] recovered an
English boy called Henry Spilman, who had lived amongest them one whole year..."

Regards,

Tom A.

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