(')2G STJNf; CONTHIVANCKS F()F{ I'liO.J KCTILK WEAPONS. 



iiwMV. The Uiiot ill the ("11(1 is retained and shows a small excavation. 

 TJie spear l)el()n<,nn<r (o this, 2.50 to :' meters long, has in the middle, 

 near (he center ol' gravity, a short hook hent backwaid, arlistically 

 fastened (o the shaft with a rattan or hast binding. In nse, the spear 

 is laid lengthwise in the furrow of (lie sling, but in such manner that 

 (lie liKle wooden hook catches iii(o (he hollow at the knot.." The 

 spear thus has a siip|)ort in throwing outward and releasing, bnt still 

 does not lie firmly enough to enable it to hit a mark. To achieve 

 that, and to assuic a certain direction of flight, an attached piece is 

 placed between the beginning of the gi-oove and the grip, alway.s 

 lying in a groove by itself. Px'ginning at the grip, it rises at a slant 

 of some H) centimetei'S above the beginning of the gi'oove an<l is 

 securely bound to the shaft with string bands. It does not lie on a line 

 with the speai- gi-oov(>, but alongside^ and pai-allel. It is whittled from 

 wood and or'namente(| with great (;are, the faxoi'ite forms <ar\ed 

 being those of animals, kangai-oo, rhinoceros birds, and crocodiles 

 fi-ecpiently ap])earing as attached pieces, often completely c(mvention- 

 ali/ed so that their meaning is obscui-e(| (pi. i, lig. lli). 



As already indicated, the i)urpose is to give the si)ear a firm sii])- 

 jK)rt to hinder its gliding off. Tn use, tlKMvfore, the hook is inserted 

 into the cavity, the speai' laiil into the groove with the right side 

 leaning against the attached piece, where it is tightly ])ressed Avith 

 the thumb, the fingers clas])ing the grip, the attached j)iece here 

 taking the place, so to speak, of fingers ( \'. Liischan). The grij) 

 is simply the smooth reed, seldom ornamenle(l. but often covei'ed 

 with j)laited woi'k, so that the hand has a firm hold, while at the 

 knot are all kinds of decorations, notched carvings and |)laited bands, 

 which are at the same time to hold the reed fioiii si)litting. The 

 motion in slinging off is the same as w ith the .Vustralian spear slings 

 (pi. I, figs, i:; and i:',a). 



All other speai' slings in Melanesia and Micronesia are wilhoul 

 attached i)iece. They have i)robably died out lieic entirely, for 

 examples are little known. There ai-e many repoits of theii- appear- 

 ance in tliis district, but the fact is annoiniced without giving i)re 

 cisc description of the stick and its weapon. Waitz mentions spear 

 slings of the Fiji Islands. (Anthropologic der Naturv()lker, VI, p. 

 597 et seq.) The w^eapons are here beautifidly worked. They are 



«I'arkinson: Die Rorlin-IIiifoii-Sektion ; Intern. Archiv., XIII, p. 29. Finscli : 

 Etlmologische I'h-CjiliruiiKcii iiiid i'.clcjxsliicke aus der Siidseo; Wien, 181)3, p. 

 212, confirnied likewise h.v Doctor liicsc in a verbal contribution to Doctor 

 Wenle in Leipzig;. Doctor Licso wiis in New (;nin<';i lor ;i Ioiik time and there 

 saw tliis practice, and upon Ins return lirou<;lit several exanii»les wliidi are now 

 in the nniseuni at Lei))zi{;. Doctor Weule denionstraled witli these. ConiitMro 

 therewilli v. Luschan : Das Wurfiiolz, [». MS, whose ui)inion, aecordinjiiy, is 

 incorrect. 



