256 AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL STONE WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS, 



from opossum hair. The surface of the sheath is whitened with 

 chalk, and terminates at the smaller end in a tuft of red cockatoo 

 down.* 



Mr. Lumholtz adds that the knives are procured by making a 

 fire on suitable rock, and then pouring water on it, resulting in the 

 flaking off of the desired piece. But Mr. Vogan tells me that the 

 Mvilligan River blacks throw heated stones directly into water, 

 causing their fracture, and from the fragments of which likely pieces 

 are selected. Two such fragments, brought by Mr. Vogan, are 

 exhibited, consisting of a white chalcedonic quartz. One is simply 

 a flake with a decided conchoidal fracture, and which could well 

 be made use of in Aboriginal daily life ; whilst the other partakes 

 more of the nature of a core fragment. Its general shape is rather 

 that of the Mika-knife, but what would be the angular face is 

 deeply furrowed. At the upper end, one edge still bears traces of 

 fire action. 



The extreme in the existence of this rite appears to be reached 

 by the blacks inhabiting the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 

 and for one hundred miles inland between the Roper and Nichol- 

 son Rivers, who slit the urethra, according to Inspector P. Foelsche f 

 of the Northern Territory Police, " from its opening right down 

 to the root." The rite is performed at eighteen years of age, but 

 is preceded by circumcision at fourteen. Among these men a 

 sharp shell is used as well as a stone knife. 



The object of the Mika-operation appears to be unknown at 

 present, the blacks being either unable or unwilling to divulge it. 

 By most writers and observers its adoption is supposed to be a 

 means of limiting population, a kind of Malthusianism. This 

 seems to be the view of Dr. Creed, as he says it renders the men 

 " for the future sterile, but not impotent." Dr. Milne Robertson, 

 on the other hand, advances reasons to prove that the former 

 is not absolutely certain. My friend, Mr. J. Frazer, LL.D., 



* " Among Cannibals," &c., 1890, p. 48. 



t Trans. R. Soc. S. Australia, 1881-82 [1882] V. p. 17, note. 



