PALEOLITHIC RACES 529 



bodily remains we have any knowledge is the Mousterian ;. 

 of Chellean or Acheulean man — presumably more primitive — 

 nothing is left but his handiwork. However remotely the 

 Australians may be related to the Neandertal race, they at all 

 events possess one character of the highest importance in 

 common — their average cranial capacity is almost identical. la 

 this respect the lower races of Australia stand at the present day 

 on the same level as the men of the Mousterian stage. In stature 

 they do not differ widely, the average height of the Australian 

 being 1,668 mm. (5*47 feet), of the Neandertal race, 1,625 mm - 

 (5 '3 feet). We have already mentioned some of the characters of 

 the skull and face of the two races ; as regards the hair we can 

 speak only of the Australians. Their hair is wavy, and they 

 are therefore included in the same subdivision of mankind as 

 ourselves, i.e. the Cymentrichi. They further resemble us in the 

 abundant growth of hair over the lower part of the face. 



In the arts they show a decided advance beyond the Tas- 

 manians. The spear, though it still continues to be the most 

 important weapon, is more complicated ; it is frequently provided 

 with barbs, and the head is not of one piece with the shaft, but 

 a separate part made of hard wood or flaked stone. They are 

 without the bow, but, on the other hand, they possess a throwing 

 stick for hurling the spear, and two kinds of boomerangs, one of 

 which returns in its flight. Their stone adzes and axes are 

 provided with a haft, and their stone knives with a wooden 

 handle. 



The art of manufacturing the stone implements has been 

 carefully observed and described. The axe is made in more 

 ways than one; sometimes a fragment of a jointed rock or a 

 pebble from the brook is selected as making a sufficient- 

 approach to the desired size and shape, and then dressed, with a 

 small pebble used as a hammer, to a sharp edge at one end. In 

 other cases the work is begun by striking off a large flake from 

 a block of stone; holding this in the left hand, with the 

 conchoidal surface turned away from him, the operator then 

 dresses it by blows delivered on the side facing him. 



The knife is also obtained by flaking ; a block of stone about 

 eight inches long by six broad, fairly flat at one end and tapering 

 to the other, is held upright against the ground and struck 

 nearly vertically with smart blows near the edge. In this way,, 

 long, thin lamina, something like the blade of a dagger, are 



