NORTH QUEENSLAND ETHNOGKAPHY — ROTH. 5 



employing bark-canoes. On the Lower Tully, amongst the Mal- 

 lanpara Tribe, the raft or warra-jan (PI. i., fig. 2) is manufactured 

 of two kinds of timber, the ponol and the pedu (Grewia pleios- 

 tigma, F.v. M.) Four, sometimes five logs of one or other material, 

 are cut off blunt at each end, no attempt being made at pointing 

 them so as to better resist the friction of the water, and tied, while 

 afloat, with a length of lawyer-cane at the two ends only. The 

 tying consists of two parts (fig. 2) ; first round the outside logs 



Fyy. 2. 



(ab), and tixing the cane at any spot suitable (x) ; and secondly, 

 fixing together the upper and under portions of the cane itself, 

 as well as tlie intermediate logs, by what may be called a 

 frapping turn. This is effected with another cane, represented 

 loose (cd) in the figure, which after being tightened up at the 

 first interspace (m), has its extremities brought over through the 

 next interval (n), tightening up again, and passing through the 

 last intervening space (o), where it is finally fixed. These log- 

 rafts are used rather in times of flood than at others, and are 

 generally discarded after use. Sometimes there are a few small 

 pieces of timber placed crosswise at one extremity, and on them 

 a piece of tea-tree baik, sand, etc., may be laid ; a tire can thus 

 be kept burning. So far as the shape of the raft is concerned, 

 sometimes the outer, sometimes the inner logs project ; there is 

 certainly no attempt at uniformity or any approach to making a 

 bow or stem. No blade or paddle is used for its propulsion, only 

 a pole which can both steer and punt it. It can be worked by 

 one or two occupants ; in the latter case with a pole on either 

 side, but ai)parently no regular time is kept in their movements. 

 6. A somewiiat different manner of Raft is to be seen on the 

 Wellesley Islands. It is V-shaped (Pis. ii. and iii), composed of 

 numerous light saplings (" White Mangrove") with butts all at 

 one end, the larger logs underneath and at the sides, ail tied 

 together fore and aft, a cross- tie connecting the two loops to 



