68 NOTES ON SAVAGE LIFE, ETC., 



replaced by glass, fixed in position with gum. The barbed 

 spear had tacked on to it, about an inch or two from the point, 

 by means of hair and gum, a spatulate concave piece of wood, 

 about 2 inches long, wider at its free than at its fixed extremity. 

 The blacks each ordinarily carried about with them during the 

 day one quartz-, one firh-, and two barbed spears ; if on the war- 

 path, the fish-spear would be discarded for an additional quartz 

 one. 



The wommera (mi-ra) {Plate VI., Jiy. Ii) was formed of a per- 

 fectly flat piece of any hard wood, cut into a leaf-shape pattern ; it 

 was about 2 feet long, 4 inches or 5 inches wide, and ^ inch to f inch 

 thick. Both extremities were covered with hair and gum; a kan- 

 garoo tooth fixed at the distal extremity acted as the hook, while a 

 piece of concave-edged shell, firmly planted into the haft late- 

 rally, played the part of spear scraper and sharpener. 



The tomahawk (kod-ja) [Plate YL, fiy. i) consisted of a 

 handle 8 inches or 9 inches long, each with two stones fixed on 

 opposite sides with gum and hair, at first sight giving the impres- 

 sion of there being but one ; the exposed edge of one of these stones 

 was comparatively rough and blunt, while that of the other was 

 ground fairly fine. The width across, at their extreme edges, 

 was quite 5 inches, and its gross thickness about 1^ inch, 

 This implement was particularly used in the climbing of trees. 

 The rough stone-edge was used for smashing or bruising the 

 bark to get a firmer foothold, while the sharper was employed 

 for actual cutting ; the lower end of the handle, previously 

 hardened with fire and sharply pointed, was jobbed into the 

 tree more or less horizontally, and, held close to its insertion, 

 afforded the climber not only a means of steadying himself, but 

 also of advancing. When not in actual use the implement was 

 carried on the loins, under the waist band, the handle hanging 

 along the upper portion of the fold of the buttocks. 



Boomerangs (kai-li) were made of the " jam-wood" Acacia, 

 a tree which grew favourably for the required shape. They 

 bore no regular pattern in the way of marks beyond some zig- 

 zags and strongly incised straight lines, and sometimes these 

 were absent altogether. Older men used them for fighting pur- 

 poses, younger men for throwing at birds, etc. Austin never 

 observed an individual carrying more than one of these weapons 

 at a time. 



