276 SAVAGE WEAPONS AT THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. 



called by them Wumm&rah m midlah, meera, Icur-wuJc, is a stick'* 4 about 

 three feet long. The spear Lies along the arm and the stick, its rear 

 end being against the prong on the outer end of the 

 Latter. The butt of the spear has a socket for the 

 tooth on the end of the stick. This is sometimes a 

 tooth of a kangaroo; in other cases of bone or of 

 wood. The form of the wummerah varies in differ- 

 ent parts of the island, being sometimes a mere stick 

 with a swelled hand-hold at one end 

 and the prong at theother. Other spec- 

 imens show flat boards, leaf-shaped or 

 tapering. Itisof hard and elasticwood, 

 and heavy enough to be used as a club 

 at close quarters. The spear is quiv- 

 ered like the Kafir assegai in throwing, 

 and undulates like a thin black snake 

 in its passage through the air. It is 

 also thrown underhand, skimming and 

 ricocheting on the ground. Figs. 117 

 and 118 are throwing-sticks of South 

 Australia and Victoria, shown in the 

 Main Building. 



Fig. 119 shows the way of using it. 

 The plan reminds one of the Span- 

 ish method of knife-throwing, in which 

 the fore-arm and hand are used as the 

 projector, the knife lying in the hand, 

 which is extended palm upward. 



Although the plau of bending the 

 spears in throwing does not appear to 

 be universal in Australia, it is some- 

 times adopted to increase the force of 

 the projection. The Pelew Islanders 

 use a throwing-stick about two feet 

 long to hold thebuttof the spear, which, 

 in throwing, is bent by the left hand 

 until it is nearly double. The spear is 

 released Ivy the left hand simultaneously f £^2StJ 

 with the Sweeping motion of the right toria, Australia, 

 hand and arm. The Puiupurus of the Amazon, 185 unlike all the other 

 tribes of the region, have neither blow-gun nor bow, but project their 

 arrows by means of a throwing-stick (palheta). Take the Australian 

 and American implements it has a projection at the end to hold the 



Backhousi s's " Wstralia," p. 133. 

 184 R. Brough Smith, "Aborigines of Victoria," vol. i, pp. 308, 309, Figs. 88-93, aud 

 p 3 18, Figs, llii, 147. 

 1 Wallace's "Amazon," p. 514. 



Fig. 1 17. — Spear-throwing 

 sticks, South .1 tutralia. 



