PAPUAN CULTURE ON CAPE YOEK PENINSULA.— HAHLYN-HARBIS. 13 



one of these 14 is fringed with human hair and is worn suspended by stout cord 

 around the neck, so we are told. 15 This breast ornament is made in various sizes, 

 and specimens in our collection (five in all) range from about 275 mm. down to 

 160 mm. in length. 16 



In 1893, Mr. Kendall Broadbent, who was then collecting for the Queens- 

 land Museum, obtained two curious breast ornaments bearing the native name 

 of ' ' Gubullaga, ' ' two specimens of which are shown in Figures 1 and 2. They are 

 very much damaged, but the two together give a fair idea of what the specimen 

 was like when intact. It consists of a crude human head worked in very soft 

 wood, on a stem with a fairly regular engraved pattern on upper surface only. 

 The face was provided with pearl-shell eyes, three of which have now fallen out. 

 (Q. M. Specimens No. QE 14/580 and 581.) 



It might not be out of place here at this particular stage to refer to the 

 musical instruments which occur fairly plentifully in the Northern Territory, 

 and are evidently of Malaysian influence. A specimen in the Queensland 

 Museum, having been described as a "bird-call," measures 992 mm., is open 

 at each end ; one end is decorticated and gummed, the rest decorticated in lengths 

 and the intervals are ornamented with rude incised patterns evidently made 

 with a sharp instrument. This comes from Port Darwin, Northern Territory, 

 Mr. E. Spalding being the donor (Q. M. Specimen No. E 14/461). I believe I 

 am right in saying that it is hardly likely that such an implement would be used 

 as a " bird-call," in view of the fact that most of the natives are able to mimic 

 bird-sounds remarkably well without any mechanical assistance. These instru- 

 ments are only used in rehearsals for corroborees, small groups of men (ten to 

 twelve) taking part in these. The boomerang is clapped together, whilst a 

 musical instrument of this kind is kept going all the time, the sound being like 

 the booming noise of the male emu, and can be heard some miles distant on a 

 still night." 



14 The other specimens were doubtless also provided with it originally — the hair in the 

 others seems to have completely worn off. 



15 Is it possible by any chance that this curious ' ' ornament ' ' might have had some 

 phallic significance, or been worn as a pubic cover? Our knowledge of these things is so 

 incomplete that we are left in the dark as to its real import. 



1C Q.M. Specimens No. QE 14/575-579. 



17 On the authority of Mr. M. J. Colelough. 



