A SUPPOSITITIOUS TOP-BOOT.— HAMLYN-HABEIS. 



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A SUPPOSITITIOUS TOP-BOOT, 



IN THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. 



By R. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Sc, Etc. (Director). 



(Plate X and One Text-figure.) 



There is in the collections of the Queensland Museum an ethnological 

 •specimen of great interest but of doubtful locality and significance. The object 

 represents what may be designated as a " top-boot" made of cocoanut fibre 

 . ornamented with distinct designs in white, red, and black, yellow being also 



introduced, and labelled as such I find it 

 entered in one of the registers — No. 6082. 

 I am not in the position, however, to either 

 contradict or confirm the statement, since 

 though it may have the shape of a " top- 

 boot " it is hardly to be supposed that it 

 would be used in that way, especially as 

 the upper portion is sewn to the sole so that 

 communication between the upper and lower 

 portions is entirely impossible. 



In order to make these few remarks more 

 intelligible, the specimen has been reproduced 

 on Plate X, of which the front view is given. 

 The ornamentation on the back is very 

 similar, and as there is an interesting design 

 on the sole of the object, a figure of 

 this (Text-figure No. 1) is also reproduced. 

 The question naturally arises as to what 

 can be its use, and on this point I am quite 

 unable to throw any light. Mr. Douglas 

 Kannie has suggested the possibility of such 

 a boot being used for the Malekula effigies, 

 and, since the lower limbs of these are usually 

 mere stumps, it does not require a very 

 extensive amount of imagination to attribute 

 to these " top-boots" such a function. The 

 effigies would doubtless find them useful. 

 Somehow this explanation does not meet with favour, and even if such were the 

 case it has yet to be proved that this specimen came from Malekula or the 

 neighbouring islands. It is to be earnestly hoped that, if any information 

 concerning this could be obtained, ethnologists will not fail to communicate with 

 the author. 



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