370 AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL STONE WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS, 



The largest is really a fine weapon, but neither this nor any of 

 the Others can lay claim to that excellency of finish displayed by 

 many of the tomahawks of Victoria and New South Wales. The 

 curve of the cutting edge, it is true, is fairly good, but the grinding 

 to produce the bevel has been roughly executed. 



In their peculiarly flattened and oval form these axe-heads 

 resemble weapons figured* by Smyth from Lake Tyers, but the 

 disposition of the cementing gum indicates that our axe-heads 

 were single, not double, as in the case of those from that locality ; 

 another figured by Evansf from "Northern Australia;" and also 

 another by Smyth | from the Burdekin River, North Queensland, 

 but with stronger traces of percussion in its manufacture, 



viii. — A Talismanic Stone, or Teyl, from Cooktown. 



It has long been known that the " Coradges," priests, or " medi- 

 cine men," usually, in preference to other members of a tribe, 

 carried talismanic stones, as a rule, concealed in the girdle. These 

 were seldom willingly shown to strangers, never to the women, 

 but were supposed to possess extraordinary powers in working 

 enchantments, as a preservative against sickness, and generally as 

 a charm. They are valued according to size, and were usually 

 made use of at night. 



These stones are not necessarily all of one kind, for Mitchell§ 

 mentions both "crystals of quartz, or other shining stones," and 

 Greyll says, " shining stones or pieces of crystal," called teyl. 

 Threlkeld in his " Vocabulary "H mentions a round ball, about the 



* " Aborigines of Victoria," 1878, pp. .S66-367. 



t " Ancient Stone Implements, &c.," 1872, p. 150, f. 105. 



+ " Aborigines of Victoria," 1878, p. 367, f. 180. 



§ " Two Expeds. Int. E. Australia," 1838, II., p. 338. 



II " Journ. Two Expeds. Discovery in N.W. & W. Australia," 1841, II., p. 340. 



H Page 88 (teste R. B. Smyth). 



