An aboriginal KNIFE. 

 By R. Etheridge, Junr., Curator. 



(Plate XXX vi.) 



The subject of Plate xxxvi. has been figured as a "Shark's 

 tooth flaying knife." Edge-Partington gives an illustration of 

 one,' with this explanation, but without locality. His figure 

 represents a wooden implement fourteen and a quarter inches 

 long, oval in section, bearing five shark's teeth, set in gum-cement, 

 along one edge at the distal end. The proximal end is wrapped 

 with cord, doubtless, also, gum-cement fastened. 



The knife now figured is smaller, and with smaller but more 

 numerous teeth similarly set, and similarly bound at the proximal 

 end with both sinew and string, the string in this instance being 

 certainly kept in position by gum-cement. The teeth are those of 

 a shark, probably Carcharias lamia, Risso, eighteen in number, 

 occupying the superior edge for more than half the length of the 

 implement, but the distal end tooth wanting; the implement is one 

 foot long by one and three quarter inches wide, and the section 

 oval. The string binding extends for two and a half inches along 

 the knife, and both it and the cement hold in position a hand or 

 wrist cord of beaten bark string. It is said to come from the 

 Cooktown District, and I see no reason to doubt the statement. 



Two types at least of these flaying or cutting knives appear to 

 exist amongst our Aborigines. First, we have the West Austra- 

 lian form, long ago figured by Admiral P. P. King," from King 

 George's Sound. He states that it is called taap, and has a 

 handle about twelve inches long, scraped to a proximal point, 

 and at the other end bears three or four splinters of quartz 

 stuck in gum. It is thus used by the Blacks — " After they have 

 put within their teeth a sufticient mouthful of seal's flesh, the 

 remainder is held in their left hand, and with the taap in the 

 other, they saw through and separate the flesh." 



The Rev. J. G. Woods also gives a figure,^ but erroneously 

 considers it as an implement to assist in climbing trees. He 

 describes it as fourteen inches in length, thick as a man's finger, 

 and with the quartz chips set in a groove, and held there by the 

 cement. 



1 Edge-Partington— Album, 3rd series, 1898, pi. cxxxix., f. 1. 



2 King — Intertrop. and W. Coasts Australia, ii., 1829, p. 139. 



3 Wood— Nat. Hist. Man., ii., p. 35. 



