AND WEAPONS. 14? 



superseded by others^ hollowed out of the trunk of a 

 tree^ whicli they procure ready-made from the 

 Malays^ m exchang-e for tortoise-shelly and in return 

 for assistance in collecting' trepang*. 



The aboriginal weapons are clubs and spears^ — of 

 the latter the variety is very gTeat^ there being* at 

 least fourteen distinct kinds. Their clubs are three 

 in number, made of the toug'h heavy Avood called 

 walldruy a kind of gum-tree, the iron-bark of Ne^v 

 South Wales ; one is cylindrical, four feet long, 

 tapering at each extremity ; the other tw^o, of 

 similar length, are compressed, with sharp edges, — 

 one narrow, the other about four inches in g'reatest 

 width, and resembling a cricket-bat in shape. These 

 weapons on account of their great w eight are used 

 only at close quarters, and are never throw n like the 

 wT^ddy of New South Wales. The spears of the Port 

 Essington natives may be divided into two classes, 

 — 1st, those thrown with the hand alone, and 2nd, 

 those propelled by the additional powerfhl leverag'e 

 afforded by the throw ing-stick. The hand-spears 

 are made entirely of wood, g'enerally the w^allaroo^ 

 in one or two pieces, plain at the point or variously 

 toothed and barbed ; a small light spear of the 

 latter description is sometimes throw^n wdth a short 

 cylindrical stick ornamented at one end wdth a larg'e 

 bunch of twisted human hair. The spears of the 

 second class are shafted with reed. The smallest, 

 which is no big'ger than an arrow, is propelled by a 

 large flat and supple throwing'-stick to a great 



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