378 AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL STONE WEAPONS AND IMPLEMENTS, 



half-civilized this seems to have been preceded by the adoption of 

 both aboriginal and civilized materials. Thanks again to Mr. 

 De Vis, I am able to show this by the four following implements, 

 all made of scrap-iron, picked up, or, more probably stolen, and 

 converted into tomahawks in the usual way by passing a withy 

 round and securing the head with gum. 



The first implement is formed of a large piece of flat iron, nine 

 and a-half inches long and three and a-half wide ; but it is very 

 difficult to say what it has formed a part of, unless it be part of a 

 wheel tire (PI. xxxiv.). It has been severed at the butt from the 

 remainder simply by means of cutting. The two faces of the 

 anterior end have been ground in the usual way, producing the 

 bevelled surfaces and cutting edge. The handle is one foot in 

 length, and it weighs three pounds eleven ounces. This probably 

 represents an axe. 



The second implement has been made in a precisely similar 

 manner, but the top edge of the iron is concave, and the bottom 

 horizontal. Had the lower edge been convex, I should have 

 suggested that this had once formed a portion of a small wheel 

 tire. The head is held in place by gum, and a string collar is 

 passed round under it. I think we may justly regard this as a 

 tomahawk ; it measures four and a-half inches long and two and 

 a-half wide. The handle is ten inches. 



The third presents no difficulties whatever in regard to the object 

 selected to form the head. It is a piece of a horse-shoe (PL xxxvi.), 

 six inches in length, and differs from the former specimens in 

 that it is single-headed. The iron is securely fastened by an over 

 and over lashing of a rush-like plant, and the whole enveloped in 

 gum. The handle is fifteen and a-half inches long, and together 

 with the head producing a very handy and efficient weapon as 

 well as implement. It is from the Walsh River, and forcibly 

 recalls to mind the peculiar quartzite-headed axe I figured* some 

 time ago from Northern Queensland. 



The fourth, and last, is equally cunningly adapted, and is formed 

 either of a cold-chisel or a ship's bolt. The head of the chisel 



* Froc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 1890, v. (2), t. 12, f. 14. 



