490 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 
Objects and Phenomena of  Nature—-Imitated with 
String.—(a) With any fair length of twine, adult women 
and young children, of both sexes, will cften amuse them- 
selves for hours at a time. It is thus used in the form of an 
endless string to play the game known to us Europeans as 
“cralch-cradle.”’ Thus played with, it is met everywhere 
throughout North Queensland; also at Murray Island, in 
the Torres Strait. In some districts it is even indulged in 
by adult men; it is the women and children, however, who 
are most partial to it. Among the local names applied to it 
may be mentioned that of kapan (at Cape Bedford), which 
signifies in addition any cut or mark; and it is noteworthy 
that when these Cape Bedford blacks were first taught by 
the missionaries to read and write, and told that certain 
letters indicated certain sounds. and that a collection of such 
letters represented corresponding objects and ideas, they got 
into the way of speaking of words, letters, writing, &c., as 
kapan—a term* which they still continue to use. Some of 
the figures are extremely complicated, e.g., Pl. X., 1, 2—the 
“Sun ’’—passing through at least eight or nine stages before 
completion. The diagrams, of course, only attempt to make 
a record of the finished article. During the progress of 
manufacture, such an one requires not only the hands; but 
even the mouth, knees, &c., to make the different loops, 
twists, and turns. In addition to variations in complexity, 
certain of the figures may he made with two endless strings, 
e.g., Pl. VIL, 1; while, to complete others again, it may be- 
necessary to have one or even two assistants, e.g., Pl. V., 2. 
Strange to say, similar figures may be met with at distances 
extremely remote, with (Pl. X., 5) and without (Pl. VIIL., 
3) similar interpretations. The following notes, with the 
places where met with, will serve to amplify the illustra- 
tions :— 
Plate I1T.—Mankind. Animals. 
1. Two boys carrying spears. Atherton. 
2. Two women fighting with sticks. (lower) Palmer River. 
See Pl. VIII. 7, 8 
3. Four boys walking in a row, holding each other’s hands. 
Cape Grafton. 
. Two men walking down a valley. [Three and four people 
can thus be similarly represented.| Cape Grafton, Cape 
Bedford. 
Man climbing a tree. [The hands are gradually raised to 
imitate the progress of the motion.] C. Bedford. See 
Pl. VIII. 8. ; 
. Kangaroo. Pr. Charlotte Bay. See Pl. XII. 1. 
. Pouch: indicative of a kangaroo. Pr. Charlotte Bay, 
Pennefather River. 
Pouch : and so, a wallaby. (lower) Tully River. 
. Strictly represents a spear, see Pl. XII. 1, but commonly 
expresses a kangaroo speared. C. Bedford. 
= 
a 
oa No 
