BY WALTER E. HARPER. 323 



Of the three I purpose to describe, two contained hand impres- 

 sions and the third human remains. The former are situated on 

 the eastern bank of Cabbage Tree Creek, which empties itself 

 into the bay a few hundi'ed yards to the west of "Tyreal House" 

 (Mr. W. Simpson). It would be useless for me to dwell upon the 

 structure of these shelters, since similar places have already been 

 frequently described;* it suffices to say that the floors apparently 

 consisted of layers of shells divided by patches of greyish fireash, 

 and at the bottom black soil. I say apparently, because the floors 

 having been previously disturbed I did not attempt to exploi-e 

 them. An examination of the material thrown out showed only 

 shells and ashes. 



Concerning the hand impressions, too, I can say little beyond 

 indicating the site of the shelters containing them, for no satis- 

 factory explanation of their meaning has so far been given. To 

 call them " wizai"ds' hands " upon no reliable evidence does not 

 solve the mysteiy. 



Of the two methods practised by our aborigines of applying 

 this symbol (for symbol I believe it originally was), viz., (1) the 

 imposition of a hand previously covered with pigment, and (2) 

 outlining an outspread hand 'on the rock surface by squirting the 

 pigment between the fingers, the former only is represented in 

 these shelters. 



The pigments used are red and black, the great majority of 

 the markings being red. All are left hands, and, I should think, 

 all made by adult males with one exception afterwards to be 

 noted. Many are very indistinct, the red having faded until 

 nearly merged into the colour of the sandstone roof and the out- 

 lines of the black being obscured by the smoke-stains of the fires 

 once built below them. 



* See, for instance, "Notes on Rock-Shelters at Dee-Why Lagoon," by 

 R. Etheridge, Junr. Records of Aust. Museum. Vol. i. p. 171. 



