8 RECORDS OF THE AU.SIRALIAX MUSBl'M. 



the canoe, some tive or six pieces of Iwrk, after being bent well 

 into position, are made to lie inside and crosswise ; these are 

 .^^ pressed against the inner surface of the vessel 



^"^' ;>, by means of as many ribs, formed of split cane, 



** which aie preventecl springing out of position 

 by being forcibly tucked under the gunwale. 

 A single tie is now sewn across the top at about 

 tlie centre of the vessel, so as to prevent the 

 two sides springing apart (from the action of the 

 ^5*''^ ribs) after the removal of the spreaders, which 



Fitr. 5. tiually takes place. Last of all, a hole is made 



at the top a little to one side of the bow, and througli it is 

 fixed the rope to which the anchor in the shape of a heavy 

 stone or piece of rock is attached. Such a canoe (PI. iv., fig. 2) 

 has fairly abrupt ends, is usually small, being intended for one 

 person only, and in the example which I saw manufactured took 

 a little over a day to make, this including the removal of the 

 bark from the tree. I am informed that it will last a long while 

 provided it is kept away from the sun under a good sliade; 

 should it crack, tiie tear is sewn up with intervening tea-tree 

 bark and covered with l)ee's-wax usually, with one or other of 

 their gum-cements on occasion ; when in use, the occupant 

 assumes a kneeling position (PI. iv., fig. 1) with buttocks resting 

 on the heels, his weight as low down as possible, and paildles 

 himself along by means of a small oval-shaped piece of bark oi- a 

 large pearl-shell held in each hand, the movements of one follow- 

 ing those of the other. This bark-paddle is called parambi, the 

 same name as is applied to the crest of a Cassowary. He 

 carries a shell-bailer and often a tire, or else the materials and 

 sand for making it on. 



8. The single-sheet l)ark -canoe of the Gulf Coast, eg. of the 

 Batavia and Pennefather River Natives, is built on identical 

 lines, a similar clamp being brought into requisi- 

 tion. The main differences lie in the absence of 

 any special gunwale, and ribs, and the peculiar 

 arrangement of spreaders and ties. To keep the 

 sides in position two spre-ulers or stretchers (fig. 6), 

 bluntly-pointed pieces of stick, are put in, their 

 „. effect bein" counteracted by two, sonjetimes three, 



ties, made of twisted vine, which aie Hxed into 

 opposite sides of the vessel and stretche<l by means of two forked 

 sticks placed cros.s-wise, their bases resting on extra pieces of 

 bark (Hg. 7). Minor differences are to be found in their general 

 size, which varies according as they are constructed to carry 

 from one to five or six people, in their more sloping extremities, 



