NOKTU QUEENSLAND KTHNOGKAPHY — KOTH. / 



stretcher, any strong piece of timber, is next jambed into position 

 so as to outline the future shape of the canoe, and also to serve 

 as a guide for cutting ott' from the end projecting 

 beyond the vice that portion which will subse- 

 quently constitute the bow. The cutting, wiiich 

 is effected with a strong sharp-edged shell 

 (usually Gyrena jukesit, Desh.) is done from 

 below upwards, through both portions of the 

 fold simultaneously. It is not a straight incision, 

 but curved more at the bottom than at the 

 top, the operator standing face to face with 



Fig. 4. 



the extremity of the bark and cutting towards himself. After 

 being cut into shape this bow end is finely sewn, or rather 

 over-cast to use the correct term, with a split strip of lawyer- 

 cane (Calamus), through holes which are drilled with an arti- 

 ficially-pointed wallaby bone. At the same time some tea-tree 

 bark (which swells when moistened) is included in the over- 

 casting of the extreme lower limit of the cut, where water is 

 very likely to enter owing to the tendency to stretch and split 

 consequent upon the extreme degree of flexion to which the bark- 

 length is subjected. The sewing completed, the clamp is opened, 

 and the other end of the bark-length similarly treated to form 

 the stern, but in this case a wider spreader is used, the stern of 

 these canoes being always made .somev^^hat wider than the bows. 

 Usually, by the time this stern of the future canoe is ready to be 

 clamped, it has been already sufticieutly exposed to the sun to 

 make it pliable enough for working, otherwise, it is heated over 

 the fire. With both spreadei s still in position two strong withies, 

 tapered at both ends to give greater flexibility, are attached to 

 the inner top of either side of the vessel l)y over-casting with 

 similar materials as before, and sewn in with them are unsplit 

 lengilis of Calamus or FlageUaria indica, Linn., the whole consti- 

 tuting the gunwale. It may be noted that though the withies start 

 from the extreme limit of the stern, they do not as a rule reach 

 quite up to the bow (tig. 5), on the other hand the unsplit Calamus, 

 etc., surrounds both stern and bows completely. To strengthen 



