PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 497 
(d) Plait-work is met with as a pastime among the boys 
at Cape Bedford (Bulletin No. 1, sect. 11), in a form 
imitative of the handles of the dilly-bags met with further 
north. 
Human Actions—Hunting.—(a) The Honey-game, imita- 
tive of the search for honey, is played by two or more child- 
ren. Squatting on the ground, each places the tips of the 
fingers upon the hand below, as in Pl. XVI., where three 
little girls are seen amusing themselves; these six hands 
represent the trunk of a tree. Each hand is now in turn 
knocked off from above down with a side-cut—the tree is 
being felled. Before knocking off the lowest hand, its owner 
puts her finger into each digital interspace (Pl. XVII.) t 
feel if any honey has dropped down. She pretends to find 
a snake there, however, and tells her mates so. All three 
next hold their hands behind their backs, and the following 
dialogue ensues:—A: ‘“‘ Have you a tomahawk?” B: 
“No!” A: “Are you sure you haven’t one?’ B: “I 
have a very little one.” A: ‘‘ Well, then, give me the little 
one.’ £8 thereupon pretends to hand over the imaginary 
tomahawk. 8’s arm, the wrist of which is held by A, next 
represents the trunk or limb in which the honeycomb is. 4 
now makes a chop at the elbow (Pl. XVIII.), to cut off the 
‘limb, encircling (Pl. XIX.), as far as she can, the joint with 
her fingers, and from here rubs the limb respectively once 
upwards and once downwards, so as to indicate complete 
discontinuity. This little action is significatory of the fact 
that with certain kinds of bees (e.g., old and new broods) the 
upper portion of the tree, where the comb lies, is “tabu ”’ 
(KYI, tabul) to the women, &c., whereas the lower portion, 
where the dirt and drippings are, is “free” (KYI, dai- 
tehen) to them. A now does exactly the same to 5’s other 
arm, then goes over the identical process with C’s arms, and 
finally does the same with her own. The honey is next sup- 
posed to have been collected from the removed limbs, and, 
mixed with water, placed in a bark, &c., trough, represented 
by all the cupped hands resting upon one another, as in Pls. 
XX., XXI. The trough is shaken up to make a good mix- 
ture, and each bends her dead down in turn to get a taste. 
“Too sweet!” is the verdict they each give, and, conse- 
quently, a pretence is made of adding more water. As 
soon as arrived at the proper strength and consistency, they 
all make a show of eating it. It is a game played by young 
children, of both sexes, at Cooktown, Cape Bedford, and 
the McIvor River. © 
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