l'.i-l KKCOKDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



either of hardwood or bone ; the blacks throw these spears either 

 at tisli in situ, or else, as I have often watched them do in a 

 muddy water-hole, aim here and there in the water on the 

 chance of hitting one : local names are KWA. lu-yu, giirrpan, 

 kit A larwa, karanja, KI,A. pur-ta. The Middle Palmer River 

 Natives make the proximal portion of bamboo, which is bartered 

 from the Princess Charlotte Bay Blacks, and use bone-barbs ; 

 they call this spear urr-che-ra. 



(e) Long grass-tree; proximal, and short Acacia 7iolocarpa, 

 Benth., distal portion with wooden barb : known as wur-poi. 

 Similar name on the Bloomfield River. 



(f) Similar to preceding, but the grass-tree is replaced by reed; 

 called nambar. 



(g) Long proximal portion mad.- of reed, the timber used being 

 immaterial, and a short black-palm distal end, the latter giving 

 the particular name to the spear, do-war. Same name and 

 weapon on the Bloomfield River. 



(h) Short grass-tree proximal portion, long Acacia or Erytliro- 

 phlceum distal end ; wooden barb ; called mu-rongal. 



The Princess Charlotte Bay Natives have a special spear made 

 with a proximal bamboo portion, and a distal Acacia one ; local 

 names, KB A. andarma, KWA. bar-nga ; the band >oo is obtained 

 from the Hann and Kennedy Rivers, and forms a staple barter, 

 e.g., to the Koko-minni of the Middle Palmer River, etc. Here 

 and there an odd spear or two are met with, not necessarily 

 introduced from anywhere else, which appears to have a local 

 name, yet without sufficient history to allow of its being con- 

 sidered a typically local weapon. Such for instance, is the mon- 

 gil mon-gil of Cape Bedford, a lonjj reed proximal, and a short 

 hardwood distal, the latter armed with wooden barbs placed in 

 pairs alternately on opposite sides. Other examples are the 

 burongamo and o-w6rn of the Middle Palmer and Bloomfield 

 Rivers respectively, and from their very nature require no 

 detailed description. 



A timber, which so far, 1 have not had cause to mention, used 

 for making spears on the Middle Palmer River, is the Acacia 

 lysiphloea,T?.v M ( KAM I. urr-te). Another 1 '- is Corypha australis, 

 B.Br. (Cabbage-tree Palm), the wood of which is split and made 

 into spearheads on the Endeavour and Normanby Rivers. 



5. (in i he Lower Tully River are to be met the four following 

 varieties of spear, the three and four pronged fish-spear being an 

 introduction of but comparatively recent years.- — 



1 on the authority "t Mr. I-'.. Palmer. 



