Note 151 — Chapter V
Reading edition
A corruption of the Portuguese “buso,” cowrie. The names used by Mr. Lambe and his contemporaries for measures of shells, are:—
40 Bouges = 1 Toky (or Toki), i.e., a string.
5 Toky = 1 Gallinha (because it was the price of a fowl), corresponding with our “bunch.”
5 Gallinhas = 1 Ackey, then worth 2s. 6d.
4 Ackeys = 1 Grand Cabess (i.e., Cabeça or head), worth 10s.
It is a pleasant money, requiring a man to carry £2.