BY R. ETHERIDGE, JUN. 377 



River, a tributary of the Hawkesbury, lead me to assume that in 

 some instances the handles were fixed in the centre of the stone, 

 so that both edges were used." 



The bevel varies considerably, and depends for its extent on 

 the original thickness of the stone employed. It is always convex 

 or arched, but seldom ever bilaterally symmetrical. 



It is possible for general classificatory purposes to separate our 

 stone implements of this description into three broad sections : — 

 A. Tomahawks ; b. Axes ; c. Hand- Axes and Wedges. 



The use of such stone implements is not universal throughout 

 Australia, for Curr informs* us that certain tribes in his Western 

 Division, and the western part of his Central Division, or the 

 Minung Tribes do not use tomahawks at all. 



As regards the halting of tomahawks, six methods were 

 known : — (1) The handle formed of a single piece, and attached 

 by a heavy swathing of gum ; (2) As a withy passed over the 

 stone head and secured (a) with gum alone, or (b) gum and 

 lashing; (3) As a withy reposing in the grooved sides of the 

 head ; (4) Similar to last, but handle twisted on itself ;f (5) 

 Head lashed to the handle after the fashion of the New Zealander 

 or Dyak ;\ (6) Head fixed with lashing and gum in a cleft stick. § 



The composition of the cementing medium varies considerably 

 in different tribes. 



xvit. — Modernised Aboriginal Tomahawks. 



In a recent Paper, after describing some flint knives, I showed 

 the adoption and continuity of the aboriginal idea when brought 

 in contact with articles of European manufacture. The rapidity 

 with which the black abandons his stone tomahawk in favour of 

 the white man's iron instrument is well known, but amongst the 



* Australian Race, 1886, I., pp. 287 and 367. 

 t In South Australia, see Knight, Report Smithsonian Inst, for 1879 [1880], 



p. 237, f. 38b. 



Said to be Australian by J. G. Wood, Nat. Hist. Man. 1870, p. 32, f . 2. 



§ Evans, Stone Implements Gt. Brit., 1872, p. 151. 



