44 Director's Annual Report. 



weapons. The resistance of the wide surface of the amera to the 

 air must impair the efficacy of these weapons as instruments of 

 propulsion. In some cases the haft is even further developed by 

 hollowing a somewhat thicker piece of wood to the shape of a .shal- 

 low trough in order to contain blood and other fluids at the cere- 

 monies alluded to. In fastening the peg to the amera holes were 

 pierced at the distal end through which to pass the binding tendon. 

 Instances of boring among the Au.stralians, who possessed no 

 pierced stone weapons, are rare. The edge of the amera is some- 

 times used in the process of fire-making by drawing it across the 

 anterior face of the goolmarry shield in the manner already de- 

 scribed. 



The wummera seen in Plate II, No. 191 1 , has the tray develop- 

 ment entirely eliminated . This well balanced weapon is constructed 

 of light wood, and its great leverage should render it very effecftive. 

 The wooden peg is held in place by the usual gum-cement. The 

 handle is shaped from and forms one piece with the haft. By re- 

 ferring to the specimens in Plate II, three stages in the develop- 

 ment of the handle are noticeable. Wummeras construdled of only 

 one piece of wood and elaborately ornamented are also found, but 

 this Museum is as yet unfortunately without a .specimen. Other 

 weapons have the peg fitted to the edge of a lathe-shaped haft in- 

 stead of to the face as in the weapons considered. A not unusual 

 feature of some wummeras is a piece of shell fastened to the proxi- 

 mal end of the haft for use as a scraper or chisel. Besides the 

 materials already mentioned as furnishing the peg, the tooth of a 

 kangaroo or .slain enemy was sometimes used. The tendon em- 

 ployed for binding the peg was furnished either by kangaroo or 

 emu leg, or by the neck of a snake. 



The natives of New Caledonia pos.sess a device for throwing 

 spears consisting of a cord and loop. It is identical in principle 

 with the ancient amentum. The kotaha, or sling-stick of the 

 Maoris, formed of a wooden handle and a knotted dogskin thong, 

 is also worthy of attention here. The arrow to be propelled with 

 this implement was first loosely stuck in the ground, point upwards 

 behind the thrower, towards whom it inclined at an angle of 30 or 

 40 degrees, and to this the thong was then looped in a manner to 

 disengage readily dire(5llv the impetus of flight was imparted. 



[184] 



