496 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



a considerable number of specimens in my possession, illustrating 

 differences in size and shape, and in the character of the material; 

 including also some which are rather profusely marked, and others 

 which contain no inscriptions. 



Fig. 1 is a long, nearly cylindrical piece of clay-slate, 18|^ in. 

 long, its greatest diameter being 2 in. A large amount of chipping 

 and grinding has been done by the native artificer to bring this 

 implement into its present shape, especially at the pointed end, and 

 fJso near the base. About the middle of the shaft the original surface 



01 the stone is seen in a few patches some inches in extent. Commenc- 

 ing a little over an inch and a-half from the base, there are numerous 

 marks, both horizontal and slightly oblique, all the way to the apex. 

 About half an inch from the point one of these incisions reaches all 

 round the stone. At the middle of the shaft another inscribed line 

 encircles it; but the two ends of the cut, instead of meeting, overlap 

 each other about 2 in., and are from a quarter to half an inch apart. 



There are a large number of incisions scattered over most of the 

 surface of the stone, about ninety of which are reproduced on the side 

 seen in the drawing. In addition to these there are many other marks 

 which, although distinguishable, are but scratches, and have never 

 been anything more. They are of the same character as the well- 

 defined cuts, but much shorter, and are not the result of accidental 

 injury. 



Fio". let g:ives a view of the base of the stone, in which there is a 

 saucer-like depression, the perimeter of which is shown by the mner- 

 most of the two irregular circles, having an average diameter of nearly 

 an inch and a quarter. This concavity has been made by picking into 

 the surface with some sharp instiTunent, such as a pointed flake of 

 hard stone, the remains of the punctures being still plainly discernible. 

 After the picking was done the surface was rubbed or ground until it 

 was fairly smooth. The depth of the hollow formed in this way is a 

 little more than a twentieth of an inch. The specimen was found near 

 an old native camp on Buckanbee run, Darling River, and weighs 31b. 

 13 oz. 



Fig. 2 is a soft decomposed sandstone, 16-| in. long, with a 

 practically circular shaft, the greatest diameter of which is 2;y in., 

 from which it eventy diminishes to a well-defined point. Extending 

 back from the apex are six vertical lines, and at 4| in. from the point 

 are tAvo slightly curved parallel incisions, cut well into the stone, with 

 ■two similar marks on the opposite side, which are not, of course, visible 

 in the drawing. These comprise all the marks on this specimen. 



From the thickest part of the shaft to the base, the diameter 

 slightly decreases, until the basal diameter (Fig. 2a) averages a little 

 over 1| in. The diameter of the depression in the base averages nearly 



2 in., and its depth is one-eighth of an inch. The stone was picked up 

 on Kallara Run, Darling River, and its Aveight is 3 lb. 14 oz. 



Fig. 3. — Another specimen of a soft sandstone, 12| in. long, 2i in. 

 in its greatest diametei-, and circular in section. Fig. 3a represents 

 the base, into which is picked and ground a concavity seven-fortieths 

 of an inch deep in the centre. It was found on Kallara Run, fronting 

 the Darling River on the northern side; 4i in. from the base there is 

 a cut which may have been intended for part of a barbed spear, 1-| in. 

 in lenfftli. Weight of the stone, 2 lb. 7 oz. 



