192 RECORDS OF THK AUSTRALIAN ML'SKUM. 



few central ones surrounded by' others in form of a circlet. 

 These spears, used for fighting, have all the general name of 

 larna-pe (the Nggerikudi term for a stingaree-barb) applied to 

 them. Made of "bamboo" (NGG. ro-amada), or Hibiscus tili- 

 aceua, Linn. (NGG. kdrnbrana) 8 . 



(c) Heavier and longer spears, but the proximal portions much 

 shorter (one-fifth or even less) than thecUstal. Used for hunting 

 kangaroo, fish, etc. Made from timber' called ombo. which is 

 bartered from the Einhly River, or fro.m Premna obtusifolia y 

 R.Br. (NGG. mo-odo), or Eucalyptus tessMarix, F.v.M. (NGG. 

 winnichanna). These spears pass by the general name of to-ono. 



(d) Weight and length similar to (c), but the proximal portion 

 much lon»er (five times) than the distal, which is multiple 

 (three or four pieces) and barbed, and used for hunting kangaroo, 

 fish, etc. They have the generic name of d^-ro. Pioximal 

 portions manufactured from Hibiscus tiliaceus, Ldnn., Thespesia 

 j>>/>ulnm, Corr. (NGG. pe-aman^^uii), or Tristauia suaveolens, 

 Sm. (NGG. ta-andruno), the distal from the Carappa molucceu.sis, 

 Lam. (NGG. adaimbite). 



4. The Princess Charlotte Bay, Cape Bedford, Bloouifield and 

 Middle Palmer River spears may be dealt with collectively, with 

 the Cape Bedford ones, about which very reliable inforniation is 

 known, as the type. Local generic names for spears are KRA. 

 K XT. K X E. KMT. kalka 9 , K W A. alkir. All the following Cape 

 Bedford spears are made of a distal (shaft) morticed into proximal 

 (butt) portion, the one extremity of the barb invariably foinxing 

 the very tip of the completed spear. 



(a) Stingaree-barbed, single (PI. lviii., fig. 5) or multiple 

 (PI. lviii , tig. G) with the barb or barbs pointing for- 

 wards, long proximal end of bamboo or reed, and short distal 

 <nl of Acacia hofncarpa, Benth. (KYI. o-yur) or Drymophlceus 

 normanbyi, F.v.M. (KYI. do-war, the local 'black palm.") 

 At Cape Bedford such spears are known as mu-lon, a 

 term probably connected with the Butcher's Hill KYE. word 

 mollun, a stingaree. On the Bloomfield the single-barb variety 

 is known as ta-chal, but here the weapon is built of a shorl 

 .\ anthorrhoea butt, and long black-palm (Acacia) or blood-wood 

 shaft. On the Middle Palmer the stingaree barbs are bartered 



8 Two other timbers sometimes employed for making these heavy spears 

 (1)) and (c) are Wedelia biflora, DC. (NGG. tondronga-nama) and Cordia 

 subcordata, Lam. (NGG. lava). 



strange to say, kalka is the generic term for a spear amongst the 

 coastal 1/ lacks (Gunanni) between the Mitchell and Staaten Rivers. 



