BY FKITZ NOKTLING, M.A., PH.D. 83 



exactly the same a bullet acquires by the rifling of the 

 barrel, or as a "spin." is imparted to cricket ball bv the 

 pecviliar action of the thumb and forefinger. This spinning 

 motion probably enabled the perenna to travel to distances, 

 which it would never have reached if thrown without it, and 

 the long range which astonisihed evei'ybody is thus easily 

 explained by the neculiar way the perenna was held by the 

 hand when thrown. Now, we also understand why the 

 perenna shows such a small thickness. A perenna having 

 the thickness of a lughrana could not well be held by three 

 fingers, and the thumb could not impart tO' it the spinning 

 motion it could to the thin perenna. The thinness was, 

 therefore, the essential featvire of the perenna; without it, it 

 could not be thrown with a spinning motion, and without 

 the latter it would never travel the distance it did, nor pro- 

 bably have the penetrating power. 



I need hardly mention that the perenna was never pro- 

 vided with a stone head, and in this conjunction it must be 

 mentioned that the so-called Tasmanian word, "poyeenta" 

 or "poyeenna," which Milligan gives as designating the 

 "point of speax, " is most probably an adopted English 

 word; the Tasmanian did apparently not distinguish be- 

 tween the different parts of a spear as we should do, and 

 there was no reason to do so, because the perenna did not 

 consist of head and shaft, but was made all in one piece. 



Like the tero-watta, but unlike the lughrana, the 

 perenna could not be improved upon or altered without 

 losing its character. If it was made thicker it could no 

 longer be thrown with a spinning motion, and, of course, 

 there was a limit below which the thinness could not go. 

 If ever it had been provided with a stone head; it would 

 have b^pu no longer a perenna, though it might still have 

 been thrown with a spinning motion. As long as it remain- 

 ed as it was the woomera could never be used in conjunction 

 with it. even if it had been invented by the Aborigines. 

 Though there cannot be the slightest doubt that the pilum 

 of the antique world evolved from the perenna of archseo^ 

 lithic mankind, this weapon had reached its highest .perfec- 

 tion, and could not be improved upon without losing its 

 essential characteristic features. 



In conclusion, I may mention that the Aborigines were 

 frequently in the habit of trailing the perenna along the 

 ground, holding it between the toes, appearing to be un- 

 armed, with the intention of deceiving the enemy. At a 

 moment's notice the perenna was transfeiTed to the hand. 



