BY RICHD. HELMS. 397 



To make a signal, a tire was lit by the side of a dry tree and 

 green bushes were heaped upon the flames when these had made 

 a good start. The smoke would then rise alongside of the tree as 

 if it were forced from a furnace."^ 



Their habitations were simply shelters made of a few sheets of 

 bark put against a pole on the windy side. 



Their wearing apparel, for both sexes, consisted of two bundles 

 of narrow strips of skin suspended, one in front and the other 

 behind, from a belt round the waist. During wet and cold 

 weather, however, they wore an opossum cloak or a mat made of 

 kangaroo skins, which otherwise served for carrying the umigong, 

 nulla nulla, boomerangs and hielaman in, when folded. 



The belt worn round the middle of the body consisted of a 

 number of closely laid coils of string, made of twisted opossum 

 fur, which was from 12 to 15 feet long. To put it on, they 

 fastened one end to a tree and holding the other end to their body 

 they turned round and round till it was completely wound. 



Over the forehead, and very tightly fastened round the head, a 

 band about an inch to an inch and a half wide w^as generally 

 worn by most of them. This was neatly plaited with fine twists 

 made out of the bark of kurrajong, and esteemed as an adornment. 



A woman having her menses would bind a string round both 

 arms, as a sign that she was to be avoided by the men. Should 

 she step across some stream of flowing water whilst in this state, 

 no one would drink below the place where she crossed it. She 



*It is often asserted that the natives of Australia communicate by means 

 of smoke. By the manner in which the smoke is made to ascend and by 

 the volume as well as by the number of columns, Ac, &c. , they are 

 supposed to have formulated a generally understood system of telegraphy. 

 No doubt they are very expert in making smoke ascend, and carefully 

 consider the state of wind and weather, understanding how to choose the 

 proper material (green or dry) and how to take advantage of special local 

 features, and watch the proper time of day when the signals are likely to 

 attract attention. But everything is done in accordance with preconcerted 

 arrangements. No generally acknowledged code exists. In my opinion 

 too much has been made of the supposed elaboration of a telegraphic 

 system by means of smoke signals. 



